Hidden Substance
by lilwashuToo
Summary: Taking place not long after Book 4, a young man, Avan(OC), is found with surprising abilities and murky past that bring both great potential and suspicion. As others find out more about him, how will they react? Korra's connection with past Avatars was severed, but what does this really mean? Head-cannon for the implications of this event.
1. Meeting

"We're almost there Lin," said Tenzin as the skyline of Ba Sing Se just started to creep over the horizon. They had decided to take Oogi since it was supposed to be a short trip and they wanted to keep a flexible schedule. The president of Republic City had asked Lin to meet with the Ba Sing Se guard force to consult on the unrest that had been quelled under the Kuvira's unification, but had again exploded after her downfall and report back the current situation around the capital. Resources were already stretched in the city, but the president did not want further trouble brewing just outside Republic City's borders either. Many parts of the government, military and police forces had broken up to try and take advantage of the power vacuum, leaving only a skeleton group that still upheld the principles on which they were founded. King Wu had only just begun the process of trying to bring these factions together and could only focus on the larger political problems, leaving many smaller matters floundering in the hands of regional or local officials with minimal oversight. There was hope that Lin could also help to bring greater unity to the fractured forces since she was highly respected both as chief of police and from her earth kingdom background. Lin did not quite share in the optimism, but decided she might enjoy whipping some people into shape while also being given the opportunity to lay down new foundations for the Ba Sing Se guard. Tenzin had decided to join Lin to meet with King Wu, shore up ties with Republic City and offer the continued support of the air nation. He had planned on this for some time and the timing worked out well. Oogi landed near the royal stables. Tenzin patted the old girl and said goodbye. She quickly started working on a pile of cabbages, hay and other greens that had been set out when their arrival had been noticed and laid down for a well deserved nap.

Lin moved from meeting to meeting for most of the day. First inspecting what remained of the troops, then hearing reports from the captains on the primary problem areas in the city and surrounding areas. She offered insights when prompted into some of the processes she had put in place in Republic City for training and to handle bureaucratic matters. Much to the chagrin of the guard, she also was quick to point out security deficiencies around the palace of which she pointed out there were many. She quickly tired of all of this and began to again question why she was sent to handle these matters.

Lin had no qualms about getting up close and personal with the captains. She questioned them, "What kind of a presence do you keep in the middle and lower circles?" A large man, probably twice the size of Lin (and not from an overdose of fried dough either) who in any other setting could have been a source of significant intimidation, floundered at a response. "Most of the guard is kept back to protect the upper ring from the unrest spreading out from the middle and lower wards," he weakly responded, knowing the response it would produce. Lin shook her head. "How do you expect to be able to attain peace and order if you cower up here around the nobles? Leaving the criminal element to grow around you allows them to strengthen themselves and being seen doing nothing only convinces more people to support them. We are as much about presence as enforcement; they need to see that you are there to support them so that they will in turn support you." Another spoke up, "but the nobles demand that their safety be the number one priority, if we cannot keep the nobles and politicians safe, how will anyone else have faith the city?" Lin chastised back, "without the people, what status or authority would any of them have? You must remember that the people of the city all depend on one another. It is this reason why you cannot be over-beholden to the king, nobles or anyone else, your responsibility is to the city and the kingdom!" The others looked at each other; they felt a renewed energy among them. Perhaps the president had been right to send Lin, whether or not she accepted it, she could be a powerful leader to the right group. After a few more questions for the officers and from her assessment of the general guards, she had enough for her assessment. It would take a lot of work to get even the capital back into order, but there was also a lot of hope with King Wu's ideas of a democracy giving everyone a feeling that something better could be built and they may be a part of it. Lin just wasn't so sure there was the will to get the work done.

There was no word from Tenzin. Much to her surprise, he did not have a set itinerary for the day. A house had been prepared for them in the upper circle with all the amenities people of their stature might expect, but she did not have a desire to turn in just yet. Despite her background, she never felt comfortable with the Earth nation. The way in which it was designed from the start divided always seemed abhorrent. Even as Chief of Police in Republic City, she could have lived more luxuriously, even simply requested greater accommodation, but she never had a desire for such things. Thoughts of Suyin flashed into her mind, Lin smiled, "I guess we really were destined to be very different people." She stopped briefly to change into more appropriate earth kingdom attire, simple, loose-fitting light green pants and a darker green over-shirt with a sash, though she decided to bring her metal spools on on a belt under the shirt, no reason to take chances. Taking a quick peek in the mirror, she headed for the train away from the upper circle. Rather than wait around, she had decided to take some time for herself and see the people of the city.

Lin had always felt more comfortable among the working class. There she did not have to try and put on the air of formality and she did not have to be so careful about what she said, not as much anyway. They were not continuously probing for flaws in self or character. In Ba Sing Se it was even more refreshing since hardly a soul had an idea of who she was; she easily blended in. While not really interested in their end-products, she was still fascinated by the artisans, blacksmiths and other crafts-people still busy working on their wares. She stopped several times to observe and peruse the stalls; though she really had no intention of purchasing anything. She had simple tastes and all the material she desired. A wonderful smell caught her nose and reminded her of just how long it had been since she had eaten. "Perhaps that working through lunch to finish up earlier was not the best idea in retrospect," she now thought. She followed her senses to a noodle stand that looked very promising; busy but not crowded. Lin took up a stool and ordered a noodle soup with roast duck and a cup of tea. Again, she was mesmerized by the simple motions of the chef as she dropped her noodles into a basket to cook in a simmering cauldron of dark broth. After a few minutes, she retrieved the noodles and with barely a wasted motion shook the excess liquid off with amazing vigor then smoothly rolled them into a waiting bowl and returned the basket to its proper spot. Dashi was added with one hand while the other hunted for specific vegetables, already prepared, all with barely a glance in either direction. The duck was last, Lin could hear the crisp skin give way while the flesh underneath revealed how moist it was. Lin cracked a smile when she was presented with the masterpiece and the chef reciprocated briefly before moving on to the next order. Lin appreciated these things, people putting in their maximum effort at whatever tasks life gave them. It was this spirit that would pull the earth kingdom out of this trouble.

Lin had finished her noodles and was bringing the last sip of tea to her mouth when the evening was abruptly interrupted. A loud crash came from down the block followed by a rolling cloud of dust, screaming soon followed. The noodle stand patrons quickly ran away from the source and were joined by many others that had been in the streets at the time. A few stood, some from fear others overwhelmed by curiosity, but Lin, collected, moved forward to investigate, carefully choosing her path to stay as hidden from what was unknown ahead.

"You think that puppet of a king can protect you? We own you just like we always did and if you think you can get away with not paying up or being even a copper short then you are sadly mistaken," a voice yelled. "And let this be a lesson to anyone else here who thinks they have some ideas about going against us. We will find you and teach not only you this lesson, but you family, your children and your friends." Lin surveyed the group, from what she could see there were three, though she couldn't tell for sure. "This is a bad situation," she thought to herself. Many bystanders were nearby, likely the very people to which the address had been aimed at and she was alone and without her armor. She could see the crushed wreckage of a merchant stall under a large slab of rock, unable to even determine its craft due to its complete destruction. "At least one of them is a fairly adept earth-bender," she assessed, "more likely all of them had some ability." One of the attackers turned his attention to a man propped up on against boulder where the stall used to sit, probably the shop owner. He was the largest of the three, light complexion for an earth kingdom resident with short, black hair, shoulders as wide as a rhino-beetle and a neck nearly as thick as his head. "Now how can we impress upon you the importance of obedience. Obviously your business and your home are not important enough to you, but maybe..." The thick-necked man motioned to another who grabbed a young woman who had been laying on the ground. "...maybe you need to understand that your decisions affect not only yourself, but also those around you." The subordinate drew a small knife from his belt and held pointed towards the woman's side. Even Lin, who until now had been on the verge of a strike was now frozen. She did not want to provoke the attackers further. Internally, she realized she had under-estimated the viciousness of which they were capable. The merchant pleaded, "please don't hurt my daughter, she doesn't even have anything to do with my business!" The thick-necked man started again, "you obviously have not been listening to what I have been saying. You made her a part of this when you decided that you could operate here without paying proper respect to us." The woman yelled, "Please, no!" He quickly threw a glance to the other who responded, pushing the knife into the woman's side. A scream of pain erupted from her lips as her clothes began to darken around her waist. It was not a mortal wound, but served the purpose of inflicting pain. The man broke down, sobbing, "Please stop, I will give you anything you want!" The thick-necked man broke a smile as he turned back to the merchant, but his satisfaction was broken when Lin exploded out from the shadows.

Lin moved like lightning that night. Having witness the build up for this attack, her blood was high and she knew that restraint may be difficult even for her because of the barbarous nature of these attackers. She first targeted the man with the knife. A stray brick was the chosen weapon which flew to the intended target's head, quickly knocking him unconscious. The most immediate danger to the woman subdued, she turned her attention to the thick-necked man. Surprise was still on her side, he had almost no time to react to what was happening as she released her metal lines, once hidden, against him. He instinctively drew up a barrier of stone to block the incoming reels, staggering backwards. Lin was not fazed and used her left to cleave the paltry barrier in half, again exposing the man. She followed up with the right to snare his upper body, trapping his arms down against himself. He tried to run, but Lin raised him up and smashed him against the ground, heavily disorienting him. She released the spool leaving him tied up. The third attacker had enough time to process what had happened and was able to better plan an offensive. He squared himself, squatted down in concentration and caught Lin by summoning a column of rock which rose up and punched into her side. She let go a guttural sound as the column knocked the wind out of her. She was now wishing she kept her armor on instead of going for the casual look. On the ground, she swung her arm down and was able to pull the ground down under the attacker's foot, setting him off balance. This gave her just enough time to right herself and regain stature. He sent a volley of rocks toward Lin; she dodged them adeptly, though sprayed with shards of stone from behind as the rocks shattered against the building behind her. As he pushed his arms forward for the next salvo, Lin evaded and sent her remaining metal line out to catch his arms. She was only able to capture one arm and he quickly raised up a large piece of earth to send at Lin, but as he started his bending motion, Lin instead used the line to pull him and close the distance between them. As they met, she swung forward with her free arm. The crack of her fist on his jaw left the attacker with nothing but a vision of stars and then darkness.

Lin shook out her right hand and flexed her fingers, "nothing appears broken," she thought, but the pain of the impact was just beginning to sink in. She gripped her side where she was hit and began to take control of her breathing; tender to the touch she would not be surprised to have a cracked rib or two. She yelled to the few people left, "Go find some guards, quickly!" They scattered. She quickly surveyed the three men to ensure they were either incapacitated or at least bound and after a few adjustments to the metal bindings turned her attention to the injured woman only to find that someone else already had.

Avan was of average size for an earth kingdom resident, average build and with the typical earth-kingdom features, dark brown hair, the deep tan skin that one only achieves with many hours outdoors, strong facial contours, handsome, but not so much that it would draw one's eye. Lin estimated him to be in his late-teens. Lin was startled by his presence at the side of the woman; she had not noticed his approach. He was kneeling with his back towards Lin as she made her way towards. As she drew closer, Lin's own breath betrayed her surprise, "You're a water-bender!" She composed herself, "I'm sorry, there aren't a tremendous number of water-benders around and to find one in the middle of the earth kingdom was unexpected. I'm Lin." Avan did not turn his attention away from the injured woman. "Avan Pae, it's nice to meet you. I heard the fighting and tried to get here as quickly as I could," he said. "She was in bad shape, but she should recover. The bleeding has stopped and they didn't strike anything vital." Lin asked, "Do you know who 'they' are?" "Yes, they call themselves the Rock Wolves. They have had a presence in the lower circle for some time and have been pushing the middle ring merchants for just a couple years." Lin spoke up, "You look to young to be a part of the guard force." "I'm not," Avan responded, "but I have been trying to do what I could to help the people around me, especially those who have helped me." Lin looked down at the woman; the merchant had moved over to join them. "Thank you so much for healing my daughter, I am sorry we put both of you through this. We don't know what to do, the more we give them the more they demand. I couldn't even keep enough to take care of my own family, we have to take a stand sometime, but now look at what it bought us... I have lost my business and my daughter lies here on account of me." Lin reassured him that these events were not his fault and that things would begin to turn around, explaining why she was even here. She wasn't so sure her speech would be convincing, but it was enough to settle his nerves. Avan advised, "She needs to rest most of all, she should be able to heal fully on her own now, but she will have to take it very easy for at least a couple of days." The merchant took up his daughter and moved off, pausing to look at the remains of his stall.

"Let me look at your side," Avan said. Lin realized she had been gripping her rib cage the entire time. "It's okay, I'm tougher than I look." "Aren't we all," Avan responded as he pulled out some water from a flask set down by his side. She was again astonished when Avan brought his hands to her side. Water-healing was nothing new to Lin, she had had her fair share of past injuries, but the sense of relief that this healing brought over her was something she was quite sure she had never felt before. "You have some cracked ribs, but this should help." A sense of warmth flowed from Avan and radiated out from Lin's side, relief from the pain came quickly. He grabbed her hand as well, noticing the bruised knuckles and eased the ache she had been feeling since dealing a knockout blow. With a small smile on her face, Lin offered her gratitude. Sitting close to Avan, she noticed one remarkable feature, his eyes which were expectedly brown but with a subtle, deep green iridescence. She noticed that when the light was reflected at just the right angle they almost had a dark green glow to them with a background of deep reds or orange.

"Do you live in the area?" Lin asked. "Not exactly," Avan answered. "Where are you parents?" "Gone." Lin looked at him inquisitively, waiting for something more. "They died a while ago, along with my sister. I don't have any family." "But where do you stay, how do you survive?" Avan took in a deep breath, "When I said that I try to help those who helped me, I really meant it. That merchant there, Manik, and his daughter, Avani, they have given me work in the past and even let me stay in their spare room a couple times. Others around here have given me food when I needed it and other places to stay and in return I have tried to help them or do work for them to pay it back. It isn't much, but it let's me survive." "You are quite resourceful," Lin responded. She thought for a moment, "Why tell me all this?" "You know, I think you are the first person in years to ask about me. Everyone is concerned more about surviving, they just don't think to ask about others most of the time. Tonight you saw it for yourself right? People don't want to get involved." At that, guards finally arrived. Lin stood up and brushed off her clothes and addressed them, "Book those three for destruction of property, extortion and assault with a deadly weapon. The two in metal shackles are earth-benders, I'm not sure about the other, but to be safe, assume he is." One of the guards turned back and countered, "Just who do you think you are telling us how to do our job?" One of his companions quickly gave him a punch in the back, "That is Lin Beifong, Chief of the Republic City Police and she is the reason there is a police force being stood up, why you have a job and someone I suggest you show some respect." The other guard then nodded to Lin and executed her orders. Avan now turned his attention toward the gray-haired woman. Lin quipped, "What can I say, that's me. Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" She couldn't quite put her finger on why she asked this, it was quite out of character, but something about Avan compelled her. "They are putting us up in some pretty nice digs and there is plenty of room and at least one free meal in it for you. I at least owe you for the healing you did for me"." Avan looked down at his clothes, they were somewhat tattered, dirty and had been patched who knows how many times. "Don't worry about that, no one is going to say anything if you're with me." Finally, Avan just offered a terse, "OK." Lin the jested, though only partially, "And maybe we can convince you to come back to Republic City and put your healing to good use."

* * *

Author's Note:

So I admit I didn't know anything about the Avatar universe a couple months ago, but I finished watching TLoK and really enjoyed it and went back to check out ATLA. I had started thinking about some what ifs and discovered fan-fictions so here we are. I created Avan (is coming up with a name hard for anyone else?) to work through some of the ideas. While my intention is to try to keep people in character, I expect to take liberty with them as needed without reservation.

I read in the forum that it is better to not mention if something is your first fan-fic, but this is, so there. I appreciate feedback, good or bad, regarding how I represent the characters, writing style, grammar, anything really.

I obviously don't own any of the Avatar stuff (except my OC), but I see others putting disclaimers in for some reason, so this is mine.


	2. City to City

The platform conductor had given Avan a tough time, apparently he didn't quite meet the standards to be boarding a train to the upper circle, but Lin had a few short words with him that obviously did the trick. On the ride to the upper ring of the capital, Avan could not help but gawk out the windows at the cityscape around him. The houses, mansions rather, were constructed with such a variety of color, not limited to just the plain greens or browns of the rest of the city, roofs shown like gold even in the evening light. Where there should be homes packed one upon the other, instead there were expanses of walled gardens. "I've never seen the upper ring before, it's magnificent compared to the rest of the city, so clean the homes even look rich, but where is everyone? The streets look deserted." One of the guards seemed to survey their companions and mockingly replied, "Nobles don't really socialize on the streets, everything they do is up for examination so they choose carefully with whom they are seen." At the final platform, Lin spoke briefly with the guards who then left with the prisoners in tow. Lin motioned for Avan to follow and they walked in silence towards the house that had been prepared for them.

Inside the house, Avan was still in awe. He was quite sure he never had been in a place this deluxe. Lin shouted, "Tenzin are you back yet, I brought someone here you should meet." The lack of a response yielded the answer. Lin walked away, "Make yourself at home, I'm going clean up a bit and switch into some clothes that are still in one piece," Lin said as she disappeared into one of the bedrooms. From inside the room, she continued, "Feel free to use one of the other rooms if you want to wash up, there is only one other person, but you're here first so you get first pick." Avan stood in the foyer, unsure of what to do. He took a few hesitant steps in and began scanning around. The decor was sparse, but what was present was exquisite, a few tapestries woven with gold and silver threads, fine vases seemed to be of much better quality than what was typical coming from the middle circle. He curled his toes into the thick rug covering a majority of the floor, he closed his eyes for a moment, an almost heavenly sensation. He thought, "Why would an earth kingdom house even have floor coverings, keeping them clean must be a nightmare. Of course, I guess whoever owns this place probably doesn't do any of their own housework." A bowl of perfectly ripe moon peaches on a side table caught his eye, Avan's mouth couldn't help but water at the sight and his stomach betrayed his hunger with a low rumble. He gently picked up one of the fruits and brought it eye to eye. With a deep inhale, he smiled as the sweet scent met his nose. Suddenly the door was thrust open and a tall, lanky man turned around to face Avan, "Lin are you in here?"

Avan froze and quickly hid the peach behind his back, as if by instinct. Tenzin stopped and quickly looked over the disheveled young man. Avan returned the gaze. He had never seen an air-bender before and couldn't help but focus on Tenzin's blue tattoos and the flowing outfit of yellows, orange and reds he wore. Tenzin broke the silence, "Hello, who might you be?" "Umm, my name is Avan, sir," hands still behind his back. Tenzin began to look inquisitively at the young man, mostly because how he was so obviously maneuvering to hide something behind him. "Is Lin here?" "Yes, she is just freshening up in her room," Avan motioned with a nod. "I see, do you have something there?" Avan looked up at the tall man sheepishly and held the peach out in front of him. Tenzin focused on the piece of fruit as a large smile grew on his face, culminating in an explosion of laughter. "I'm sorry, you have to admit, with your appearance and the way you were acting with that, I think I had a right to be suspicious," Tenzin said, wiping a small tear from his eye. Tenzin inquired, "so why are you here anyhow?" Avan started to relate the events of the evening, leaving out many of the details, when Lin finally emerged from the bedroom.

"Tenzin! It's about time, where have you been all day?" Tenzin breathed out a large sigh, worthy of a master air-bender, and plopped down in a chair, "I cannot remember the last time I spent so much time arguing only to accomplish nothing. These nobles have their heads screwed on wrong. They simply cannot see past their little domain up here at how the city is in shambles." Lin nodded in agreement, "Much of the guard force holds a similar sentiment." They continued their discussion about the politics of the earth kingdom for a while until they both suddenly became aware again of Avan still standing in the same place. Lin chimed in, "I told you to make yourself at home, if you're not going to eat that thing, then I will." She stood up and started to make a move toward Avan when he quickly brought the moon peach to his teeth, savoring the flavor and slurping up the juice that tried to make a break for his chin.

"Have you eaten yet?" Lin asked. "No, I only just escaped from the meetings, which are probably still going on," he responded. "Come on, I owe Avan a meal." Before they left, Lin dug around in the spare closet to find some new clothes for Avan. "They always keep spare stuff stocked here so that guests will always keep an appropriate appearance," Lin stated mockingly. They left the house and found a restaurant without much trouble. It was a quiet establishment, not too crowded either. Everyone inside was sitting up straight and only made quiet, light conversation. Avan was immediately uncomfortable. After they were led to a table, Lin instructed Avan to order whatever he wanted off the menu. He looked it over but was flustered between not knowing what some of the items and not knowing what some of the items said, he had not had the advantage of much school in his life. Tenzin noticed his discomfort, but did not mention anything. Avan settled on some pork buns. Tenzin ordered a hibiscus salad with a side of fruits. Lin just had tea, excusing herself since she already had dinner earlier in the evening. They made small talk for a while, mostly between Lin and Tenzin, until their food was consumed. Tenzin finally asked Lin, "So this young man told me something about a merchant being attacked and you coming to the rescue, but what exactly happened?" Lin assessed correctly that many of the details of earlier had been left out when she interrupted them before, so she started from the beginning, filling Tenzin in.

Tenzin actually was not terribly surprised about Lin's ability to take down three perpetrators. He was well aware that she did not make chief due to her political acumen. However, his interest piqued at Lin's description of Avan's healing abilities. Upon close examination, he could just barely notice any bruising on Lin's hands. "So he repaired cracked ribs and are not in any pain?" Lin corrected, "Maybe a bit of discomfort, but I've felt worse after watching Rohan for a day." "It takes the best healers extensive study to work with wounds and broken bones. Even then, to fully heal them takes time and you say Avan healed both of you in minutes?" Lin nodded and Tenzin leaned back in his chair, visibly astonished. Tenzin paused a moment and turned to Avan. "I am sorry Avan; I don't mean to be talking about you right in front of you." Avan expressed that he took no offense to it. "How long have you had this ability, who taught you, how did you discover it, are you originally from the earth kingdom?" Lin cut Tenzin short and glanced around. Tenzin's voice and excitement had obviously caught the attention of most of the restaurant. "Perhaps we should continue this back at the house," Lin suggested, so they paid the bill and headed back for the house. Tenzin was noticeably quick of step, driven by the excitement of the mystery.

Back at their temporary home, Tenzin reiterated some of his earlier questions. Avan calmly answered their questions. They came to learn that he had only known of his healing ability for perhaps four to five years. Avan claimed to have never had any formal teaching regarding water-bending. Tenzin was again in partial disbelief, but considering the rarity of water-benders in the earth kingdom, concluded that was likely the truth and Avan could never remember living outside the city walls. Avan spoke up, "I found out I had some ability by accident. My sister was injured and I was trying to help her to safety." Avan did not pause to allow room for inquiry on this point. "I was carrying her in the rain, but after a little while I just couldn't go any farther. We didn't really have anywhere to go anyway and so we huddled together under some boxes in an alley. She was in pain and I didn't know what to do. I held her tight and the water around some of her injuries started to emit a slight glow. She said that she feeling better and I felt something strange, like there was some connection between us. It was almost as if I could feel the flow of energy in her body. I had some sense of where it was knotted up and it was almost as if I could hold onto it and channel it." Avan paused a moment, "I didn't even realize what it all meant until after she recovered and asked me about it. She told me that I must have water bending abilities. After that it didn't take much effort to see this energy in people and I became quite good at it through helping people in the lower ring. There is a lot of suffering there." Tenzin asked, "But you never had any formal training?" He shook his head. "Astonishing!" replied Tenzin.

Tenzin and Lin learned that Avan had only minimal basic water-bending abilities. Avan demonstrated that he could only bend smaller amounts of water and only at relatively short distances. Trying to control too much at once left the water visibly unstable and Avan showed building fatigue at the exertion. Tenzin suggested that Avan return with them to Republic City. "I would like you to meet my sister Kya. She is quite an adept water-bender and healer and I am sure she would like to meet you and if you were willing, train you. I have a feeling your control of water may simply be due to a lack of instruction, and if you increase your ability to control the element, I am even more curious how your healing may also be improved." Lin interjected, "it has been a long, busy night for all of us. Why don't we all get some rest? Avan, you don't need to answer about all this now. I think you would be stupid to turn away this opportunity, but I know this is home and we will not make you come if you are not comfortable with the idea." Tenzin nodded in agreement. Avan just kept a blank look on his face, so much had happened so quickly. They all turned in to bed, it would be a long day tomorrow, regardless of Avan's decision.

As he lay in bed that night, sleep did not come to him. Avan's mind was a whirlwind of conflict. He had never stepped outside the Ba Sing Se, let alone the earth kingdom. Only this night had he even been out of the lower or middle rings of the city! To leave the earth kingdom entirely, it had taken him years to learn to survive here. "What would he do in an entirely new place, starting over?" Why had he even followed these people to this point? They felt different that the other people he had met so far in his life, they may have a lot to offer him. What did this city even hold for him still? Would he just continue to survive here the rest of his life moving from place to place wherever he could find shelter? All of this exhausted him and sleep finally took hold in the early hours of the morning. The dreams troubled him and he tossed in his sleep. Decisions of the past, never told to anyone, churned through his mind.

The morning light had come and Lin and Tenzin were already up. While they wanted to give Avan time, they also needed to return to Republic City and couldn't leave Avan here in this house that was not even theirs. Lin knocked on the door to no answer. She proceeded inside and saw Avan still in bed. A contorted expression on his face told her that whatever was going through his mind at that time was not pleasant. She put a hand on his shoulder and instantly he snapped up, startling Lin, and gasped violently for a breath, pupils wide open. "Avan, are you okay," Lin inquired. He composed himself quickly and gathered awareness of where he was and what he was doing there. "I'm sorry, is it late?" he responded. "I'm sorry, but Tenzin and I have to return to Republic City. I want you to know the offer is still open for you to return with us, but we can contact you the next time we are..." Avan interrupted, "I want to go with you." "Are you sure?" Lin questioned. Adamantly, "Yes." Tenzin poked his head in and Lin relayed to him, "Oogi's good for three right?" Tenzin nodded, "Avan, welcome."

After a quick breakfast, the three found Oogi. She was happy to see Tenzin and was not at all uncomfortable when Avan reached out to stroke her fur. "She is huge!" he exclaimed. Tenzin and Lin strapped their baggage onto Oogi, Avan had nothing but the clothes on his back. In the air, Avan's smile grew from ear to ear. Tenzin smiled, remembering those first experiences his own children had that caused similar responses in them. Lin told Avan, "Don't worry, we will help you get settled in Republic City, you aren't going to be living in boxes on the street." Tenzin added, "There are a few people who I think will want to meet you as well, including Avatar Korra." Avan's eyes grew and his head became light. Between the smile Oogi produced whisking them through the air and the idea of meeting The Avatar, Avan was amazed he didn't faint right there. Lin and Tenzin exchanged looks with one another and laughed at Avan's expression. "I don't know what is going to happen," Avan thought, "but perhaps this is my chance to start over new."

* * *

Avan was impressed as the skyline of Republic City crept over the horizon. Tenzin mentioned that while Republic City was far from perfect, it was also a great achievement where the various nations, benders and non-benders, spirits and humans all lived together in relative peace. They descended onto Air Temple Island. Lin, always the chief, said a quick good bye, saying that she needed to get to the office to catch up on work and headed for a ferry to take her across the channel. Before leaving, she told Avan that he would be in good hands with Tenzin and that she would also stop by in the next day or so to see how he was getting along. Only being gone a short while, Pema came out alone to greet Tenzin with kiss to the cheek, "Welcome home dear," she said sweetly. "Where are all the kids?" Tenzin asked. "They are all together in the courtyard, Jinora is keeping an eye on Rohan, and the others, well, it doesn't matter much these days who is keeping an eye on them," Pema smiled, "and who is this?" Tenzin introduced Avan to Pema and explained that he would be staying in the dormitories for a little while until they figure out something more permanent. Avan spoke up, "Wait, Tenzin, this is your wife? I thought you and Lin..." Tenzin blushed ever so slightly and Pema laughed. Pema explained that Tenzin and Lin once were together a long while ago, but were just good friends now. Tenzin gave a small cough and ushered the two of them toward the main building. Pema smiled and gave Tenzin a small nudge of the elbow. Behind them, where they couldn't see, Avan smiled at this exchange.

It was almost time for dinner. Tenzin looked over at Avan, "Well, do you want to join us for dinner, or do you think it would be a bit too much all at once?" "Lead on," he responded. They made their way to the dining hall. The air acolytes and nomads were starting to stream in for the evening meal. Some looked at Avan curiously, but most continued on with their assigned duties, bringing out dishes, food and drinks. As they walked through the hall, some greeted Master Tenzin formally and he would return the greeting. Tenzin motioned for Avan to sit at the largest table where he did. The volume of the room seemed to double as Jinora, Ikki, Meelo and Rohan all came running in, arguing about who won something or other. Tenzin cleared his throat and slung a look their way as they quickly settled down. "Ahem, Avan, these are my children, Master Jinora, Ikki, Meelo..." "Master Meelo," Meelo interrupted. "Just Meelo," Tenzin corrected, "and Rohan, my youngest." Pointing to a gray-haired woman just coming in, "This is my older sister Kya. She is the one I spoke with you about." Kya caught the tail end of the statement and spoke up, "Spoke with whom about what?" Tenzin continued, "Does anyone know where Bumi is? Bumi is our older brother." As he just finished the statement, Bumi made his entrance running in from behind to polish Tenzin's bald head, laughing. "Who is looking for me?" Bumi boasted. Tenzin cleared his throat for attention, "Everyone, I would like you to meet Avan Pae. Lin and I ran into him in the earth-kingdom and it turns out he is quite an adept water-healer." Kya perked up. Tenzin addressed Kya, "Kya, once he is settled in, I would like it if you could work with him to both help him find a place here, but also as a trainer for his water bending. We can talk about the detailed later, after dinner." Kya quickly agreed. They all settled down and sat for the meal. The kids all sat together with Bumi at one end. Avan stayed next to Tenzin with Kya on the other side. Pema came in and took the spot between Tenzin and Jinora. Everyone seemed to talk at once about what they learned, what was troubling them and rumors of the day. Avan remained silent.

Kya was the one to break Avan's silence. Avan took to Kya almost immediately. Her even personality was very welcoming to a nervous Avan. He asked questions about her family and what goes on at the air temple. He was shocked to learn of Kya's close relationship with the previous Avatar Aang, which only brought on another wave of questions. Kya was really enjoying the conversation when it dawned on her that she had barely learned anything about Avan. She tried to keep the conversation light asking questions mainly about Avan's bending. He recounted the story of how he first learned of his healing ability and how he had been essentially using it as exchange for surviving in the earth kingdom. When Kya asked about Avan's family, he responded as before that they were all gone and that he had lost his parents and sister. She could feel that there was a deeper side to this story, but now was not the time to press. The younger kids, Meelo and Rohan, chimed in asking about whether or not Avan knew some of games they play and were disappointed to find that Avan's was of a much more serious nature than they were hoping for. After some time, almost everyone had turned in, leaving just Tenzin's family laughing and talking alone. This was altogether the norm and the other acolytes and nomads fed off the love that Tenzin's family had for one another. Knowing that the head of the order was also so close allowed the rest of them to also feel as just a large extended family around them. Avan felt this too while watching all of them. It brought him happiness, but also a feeling of deficiency in his own life.

The night finally drew to a close. Tenzin and Meelo led Avan together to the male dormitories and showed him to a room. "This will be your room as long as you wish to stay," Tenzin said. They showed him where the washroom was located, where to find extra clothes and where to take laundry. "I hope you don't mind the clothes, we only have air nation clothing around of course, but when we next get over to the mainland, we can take care of that." Avan nervously spoke up, "I promise that I will repay you for all the help you've given me, the clothes, the food, the room. I don't know how yet but I will..." Tenzin stopped him, "Please listen, you do not owe us anything except to give your best effort to apply yourself. Most of the people who you saw tonight have come from all different nations and backgrounds. They all work here to learn so they can help others around them. They are all part of our family and I want you to know that you are welcome all the same." Avan stood up straight, with damp eyes, "Thank you Master Tenzin." "Good night Avan, get some rest, I'm sure Kya will get you to work tomorrow," Tenzin smiled, turned with Meelo and headed to their family's quarters. After washing up and selecting some fresh clothes, Avan collapsed onto the bed, his bed. Between the long day and all the people he met, exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep in just moments. His dreams were puzzling that night, but not unpleasant. Visions of people whom he did not know and places he had never seen before faded in and out.

Avan was up early the next morning, the sun had yet to break over the horizon. After getting ready, he decided to take a walk outside only to find that very few of the air nomads were up at this time. Those few, who were primarily were exercising in the yard or meditating on their own, scattered like small statues. Avan walked around slowly, observing those he encountered and breathing in the fresh, cool air. It was a welcome change from the more acrid atmosphere that seemed to hover around the lower and middle circles of Ba Sing Se. He found himself in a strange situation. For years, most of his days would start with trying to figure out how he would eat for the day, where to go, but today these concerns were gone. From his pacing about, it was evident he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

Kya spotted him from afar and called out his name, "Up early today are we?" Avan nodded, "I couldn't help it, I mean I am used to getting up early anyway, but I think I am excited about whatever this is." "Come on, let's get started with the day then," said Kya. They made a quick stop in the kitchen where Pema was just starting preparations for the first meal for the family and exchanged greetings. Kya said they would be back around later, but just wanted to grab something before they started. They each left with an apple in hand. Kya walked Avan around some of the gardens, making a point to bring attention to the water features throughout. She was viably excited to have another water-bending on the island, one that she could train that is.

"I hope that you will like working with me, I have to admit that I am excited to be able to teach someone else my water-bending. I mean, I did show Avatar Korra some healing techniques, but she obviously doesn't really have much to learn from me, not bending anyway. Our mother, Master Katara, was able to pass on so much to so many people, Korra included, and I saw the fulfillment that it gave her. I took a more nomadic approach to life and having settled here, we don't see many other water-benders. Tenzin of course has all his air-benders." Avan chuckled a bit to this. They walked into the healing room, "This is where I do most of my work. For more serious injuries, we can submerge the patient so that the water can flow over their whole body. Based on the little bit Tenzin told me, it sounds like you must already have a good grasp of the energy flow within each of us?"

"Yes. I have never healed anyone in a pool like these, only using small amounts of water over smaller injuries, but when i close my eyes, I feel like I can almost see it flowing or not flowing in the other person. It was kind of scary years ago, I did not know what I was doing, but when I would relax, I felt that it just came to me. It was almost as if the energy itself was telling me where it wanted to be, I was just helping it to flow back through the damage." Kya's eyes widened slightly, "I think that is probably one of the best descriptions of the process that I have heard." "And from someone still so young," she thought. "The body has an amazing ability to heal itself, the healing we perform really just assists, sometimes to a great degree, what the body is already trying to do. When injured, the body and energy are both damaged, but when we use our own energy to reinforce their own, it can make a world of difference."

"Tenzin mentioned that you may need some help with the basics of water-bending. Can you work on this pool and just show me what you can do?" Kya asked. Avan faced the water and slowly moved his arms and hands. Capturing a bucket-sized ball of water, he manipulated into a line, let it flow over his hands and moved it about in the room. "I can work with smaller amounts of water OK, but I can't send it out too far." He pushed it out the window and Kya saw that as it got to about twenty or thirty feet away, it began to lose its form until it just splashed downward. Below they heard a distant shout, "Kya, watch it up there, some of us are trying to meditate!" Avan whipped around to meet Kya's eyes who quickly broke into laughter. Avan then reciprocated with his own burst. "Don't worry about that. Can you try this?" Kya stood in front of the pool and slowly rocked back and forth, arms out. As she did, the water flowed in and out like the waves of the ocean. "For this, you try and control every drop of the water. You only need to see it as a whole that you are coercing. Kind of like the energy in us, let the water find its own way, you are just helping it." Avan faced the pool and tried to mimic Kya's motions. At first, he was only able to throw up splashes of water from the surface. Kya encouraged, "Remember, try not to concentrate on any individual part of the water, think of the feeling of being a part of the wave itself and transfer that motion to the water." Avan took a deep breath and continued. After about thirty minutes, Kya had a huge smile on her face as the pool had developed small wave, in and out. "Open your eyes, look," Kya said. Avan looked and saw that the water was responding to his motions. It was not nearly as reactive as when Kya had demonstrated the ability, but it was a start. Avan dropped his arms and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Let's get some food," Kya said.


	3. Settling In

Lin was swamped at work and over a week had gone by before she returned to Air Temple Island. "How is he doing?" she asked from Tenzin. Tenzin gave her an update, explaining that Avan had been working with Kya on water-bending and healing. "Kya would probably be the best person to talk to, she will have the details," responded Tenzin. So they made their way up to the healing area where Kya and Avan had been spending almost all their time. Kya was standing outside one of the rooms and caught their approach.

"Lin, hello!" she called out. "How have you been?" They spoke a short time catching up on a few of the goings on in the city and around the air temple. "Well, I know you didn't come here to have a chat with me." Lin put on a small smirk, "Well, so, how is he doing anyway?" Kya energetically responded, "Avan is incredible, as you described." They all poked their heads in the room to find him working on a Republic City officer. Lin perked up, recognizing him, and stepped in, "Giri, what happened?" Avan looked up at Lin, she motioned for him to disregard her and continue. Giri was a high-level detective, Lin in fact had personally recruited him some years back. While she didn't keep in touch with him personally (How could she keep track of every officer that she had personally interacted with in some way?), she almost never forgot a face. The detective tried to straighten up a bit despite Lin's motion to remain at ease, "Chief Beifong, I didn't expect to find you here. We were tracking down a faction of the Triple Threats when got a jump on us, I took the brunt of the attack and unfortunately they got away. They have become more emboldened since Kuvira's attack disrupted the city." "How are you feeling?" Lin asked. "Pretty good actually, especially considering I don't even know how I got here. I was told that our Sato-mobile was completely smashed and they had to slice it up to even get me out. They claimed to not even be sure if I would make it so they flew me here, but to be honest I only feel a bit bruised up and sore." Lin responded, "Well take it easy for a while and recuperate."

Lin returned to Kya and Tenzin. Kya spoke to Lin in a hushed voice, "He doesn't even realize how bad of a shape he was in. When your officers arrived, he was unconscious with severe lower-abdominal injuries. They said that because of the crash, Giri was basically crushed between his seat and the steering wheel. Avan has been working on him since for the past two days, almost non-stop. I learned on the first day with him that when it comes to more localized injuries, I would have to say he is second to none, even Master Katara. I have never seen the ability to heal like he has, I am almost jealous of his raw talent in this. However, as he mentioned to you both, his overall water-bending skill level is surprisingly basic, so any wide-spread injuries, extensive burns, and poisoning, things of that nature that would require the use of the healing pools he is somewhat ineffective." They looked over as Avan replaced the water he had been using back into the basin nearby, gave a long exhale, leaned back and closed his eyes. There was no hiding his exhaustion.

The three of them walked out of the room and Kya continued her assessment. "In between healing work, I have been teaching him, starting with the basics. Since he didn't have any formal training, much of even his basic motions were off, so I am partially unlearning what he thought he already knew. He is a good student, very eager and picking it up quickly. I mean he isn't going to be challenging Korra next week, well maybe a healing challenge, but it won't be long before I think he will become quite an adept water-bender in all aspects." Lin looked to Tenzin, "I think we made the right choice pulling him out of the slums. It seems that his best position would be to remain here for the time being, training and applying healing." "Assuming of course that is what he wants to do," Tenzin added. "I want to make sure he grows as a well rounded person, I don't want him to think we are using him for abilities without regard to him as an individual."

"I don't feel that way," Avan interjected. The three whipped around, all unaware of the fact Avan had also emerged from the healing room and was standing just behind them.

Tenzin spoke, "Avan, I'm sorry, I just want to make sure that you know you are free to learn, come and go and make all of these decisions as you see fit. All of us are here to help guide you, but I do not want you to feel that you owe us anything."

"I should be the one thanking all of you for this opportunity. It is hard for me to accept that just days ago I was pretty much living on the street," Avan said earnestly, "and Kya, thank you. I don't mean to be sappy, but...you really make me miss my mom." Kya turned a bit red in the cheeks, ruffled Avan's dark hair and said, "Thank you for that."

The four of them made their way through the training area. Lin offered her thanks for helping one of her officers. She jested to Avan, "Make sure you don't let Master Tenzin here keep you trapped on this island too long. You should make sure to see the city too." "Like I said, he is welcome to come and go as he pleases," Tenzin stressed.

There was increased commotion from the courtyard. Tenzin could identify all his kids yelling together as well as several others. "Korra must have returned from the South Pole," Tenzin declared. Tenzin, Lin and Kya tried to continue conversations, but the noise was increased by the inclusion of loud crashing. "What are they doing over there?" Tenzin questioned, "Trying to destroy the island?" They turned a corner and Tenzin was correct, Korra must have returned and was making up for some lost playtime with all the kids. It was clear they had come up with some new game where Korra earth-bended rocks up and the air-benders were trying to determine who could launch them the furthest using their air blasts. From the looks of her stance, Jinora had soundly beaten everyone, much to both Ikki and Meelo's dissatisfaction. Ikki made claims that Jinora's rock was smaller than everyone else's and Meelo thought she had used two air blasts instead of just one. Kai, chest puffed up, stepped up to claim his turn. Korra badgered Kai, "So you think you are going to be able to beat your girlfriend? Maybe Meelo's rock would be a better goal for you!" Kai turned a bit red and responded, "bring it on Avatar!" Korra stomped on the ground, sending another stone into the air and Kai whirled forward, sending air blasts out with both hands. But, in his rush, Kai's aim was a bit off and instead of both blasts impacting together, they sent the stone hurling far off course towards the meditation pavilion, still occupied. Jinora, Tenzin and Korra reacted to intercept the errant projectile when it suddenly plummeted straight down and was obliterated against the ground. Everyone was puzzled at what just happened except Lin and Kya, still at a distance from all the others, who had observed the rock respond to the punch that Avan had just sent downwards. After a moment, Lin was the first to speak, "You can earth-bend too?!" Even as this began to sink in, Tenzin and the others were still puzzling over what had just happened, calling over to Lin, "Did you do that?"

After the initial confusion was resolved, Tenzin, Lin and Kya found themselves again in a state of bewilderment. "So you can also earth-bend?" Kya questioned. "Well yes, I'm sorry I didn't mean to surprise anyone. It's just everything was so focused on the healing and water-bending and stuff that I honestly didn't even think about it...and no one ever asked," Avan said innocently. Korra stood waiting for an explanation, "Who is the new guy and what is everyone muddling around about?" Tenzin spoke up, "Korra, this is Avan Pae. He is a refugee of sorts from the earth-kingdom. Lin and I ran into him when were there last week." "Avan, this is Avatar Korra." Avan was visibly shaken a bit, "The Avatar!" "Umm, Hello, nice to meet you...," he trailed off and tried to give as formal a bow as he could muster. Korra and Tenzin's kids chuckled a bit at the sight. Korra tried to break the awkwardness, "Just call me Korra, I don't need the Avatar this, Avatar that formality. I get enough of that dealing with political types. If Tenzin and Lin brought you here then you are like family and thats enough for me." Avan gave a weak reply, "Yes, umm..." Korra glanced at him with a patented goofy Avatar smile. "Korra," he finished. Korra gave a nod of approval and continued her original line of questions, "So again, can someone explain the jaws lying on the floor?"

They moved near the meditation area and sat down. Lin started from the beginning with how they first ran into Avan in the earth kingdom and how he came to be staying at the air temple. Tenzin and Kya handed off the more recent events and training that Avan was doing with the water-bending. Tenzin addressed Avan directly, "Avan, with the exception of the Avatars, you are the first person that I am aware of who has had the ability to bend multiple elements." Avan thought a moment, "But there are lots of people who control more than one, Lin can do earth and metal bending. I know there are earth and lava benders and I have heard of fire and lightning benders too." Tenzin went on to explain how those abilities were just extensions of the same base element. Korra was as intrigued as the rest of them. "Tenzin, but what does this mean?" Korra asked. "I don't know. I think I should have a meeting with the White Lotus, perhaps they will have some ideas. It didn't dawn on me before, but based on Avan's description, he may have acquired his healing abilities around the time of harmonic convergence. Could there be others wandering around with such ability too?" Tenzin paused, thinking about the possibility. After several moments, Korra's stomach broke the silence and they all took the cue to head up for lunch.

It was only a matter of minutes before the story began to spread through the dining hall. It didn't take long before everyone knew that Avan had exhibited both water and earth bending ability. Tenzin was forced to address the hall and explain a little bit about Avan and asked, as leader of the air nation, that the facts remain on the island for the time being. He knew this was about as unlikely as Korra turning vegetarian. Kya addressed the group, "While this is surprising to all of us, I don't think it really changes anything. Avan, I just want to make sure that it is clear that you are still welcome here and that I'd still like to instruct you further in water-bending." He let loose his breath and thanked Kya for that. "I could teach him some earth-bending, from the looks of it we could have some fun sparring! It's been a while since I had a good earth battle, I don't want to get rusty myself!" Korra added. Tenzin informed Korra that Avan would likely be quite busy learning water bending and with work in the healing wing. Korra nodded and gave Avan a sly wink.

The fact that they never heard anything about Avan from the mainland was a testament to the respect the residents of the Air Temple held for Master Tenzin. It wasn't long before Avan had become such a part of the people at the Air Temple that they, like himself, didn't even think about his bending ability. Avan was kept busy with his training and the work of healing. Unfortunately there was never a shortage of injuries, but Kya told stories about how things were right after Kuvira's attack and things were certainly improving. The majority of cases that were brought to the island were people with significant injury that required the immediate attention of the water-benders. It was barely a week before Avan had gained the ability and confidence to treat people in the healing pools as well. Kya had turned out to be a very capable teacher. Together, Avan and Kya became well-known, even outside the city, for their ability to heal others. Kya's healing also improved working with Avan. Working together, she was also able to better focus her thoughts on the energy flows of others, and together they were further able to share the stress and fatigue that came with the art of healing. Kya was also thankful for the extra time that having two healers on the island afforded her.

Much to Tenzin's satisfaction, Avan took advantage of being surrounded by the air benders. He often participated in their practices when he was free, getting to better know many of them, and was very interested in the techniques and philosophies. Even without any true air bending, he was able to navigate the training gates quite consistently, mimicking the motions of the others and merging that with the insight his own earth-bending gave him. Tenzin noted that his true nature seemed to be that of water, despite the obvious skill gap between that and his earth bending. While the air was nimble to flow around and through, Avan exhibited a balance of water and earth. His motions were guided by his surroundings, but he also subtly pushed back against the world with his will to open paths that would otherwise be closed to a true air bender. It seemed much like how a river is both influenced by the earth through which it carves all the while exerting its own force back on the land; balanced forces carving a new path. He was also impressed how the influence of water-bending even carried over to his earth bending, which did not follow the standard, rigid forms of most earth benders, but was much more fluid and with seemingly little impact to its power.

* * *

It had been some time since Korra's original earth battle-royale "suggestion", but she continued bringing it up. Korra and Asami had gotten to know Avan a much better during visits to the Air Temple. They had come for dinner with Tenzin's family this evening. Mako and Bolin were to join them later for a night in the city. It was becoming more difficult for the original Team Avatar to get together, but there was time before Mako and Bolin were expected so when things began winding down, Korra grabbed Avan and led him to a secluded area near the sentries' quarters. Asami shook her head in silence, knowing what her girlfriend was up to.

The sky was just beginning to darken when Korra and Avan squared off with one another. They both held serious, but playful, expressions on their faces. "Let's see what you got!" Korra jabbed. Everything was still for mere moments before both benders made motion to pull rocks from the ground and send them hurling toward one another. They both redirected to block the oncoming attack. Korra sent a wave of earth and Avan countered caused a thick wall of stone to rise up between them. Punching through the wall sent multiple projectiles toward Korra who quickly dispatched them into harmless dust. An observer could see a difference in tactics where Korra was trained in more traditional earth bending, she would stand her ground and absorb or crush the incoming onslaughts. On the other hand, Avan showed the influences of water and air bending, choosing to evade and use his earth bending to change the trajectories of approaching attacks, motion like that of a river of stone. The two slowly began pulling up larger and larger boulders. Back at the dining hall, the increasing sound of crashes finally attracted attention. Jinora and Ikki ran out, returning less than a minute later, "Korra and Avan are sparring out back!" The group, including Tenzin, Pema, Asami, Bumi, Kya, Jinora and Ikki ran to the spectacle.

Avan tried to put Korra off balance by depressing the earth from under one foot, but Korra detected this and simply shifted balance to compensate. In turn, she opened a fissure to capture Avan, but he used his own bending to prevent its spread directly under him. They stomped to the ground, ejecting pillars at one another, both evading and reaching out to crush the advancing columns. The kids were enthralled by the display. Asami showed some concern for the escalating level of bending, but also was silently cheering on Korra. After raising up walls on either side of Avan, Korra attempted to bring them together in a crushing move, but he saw this coming and pushed against them with an explosive result. Avan directed much of the shrapnel towards Korra who put up her own wall in defense. Tenzin began to show signs of concern at the intensifying level of the attacks. Avan's movements took on that of a water-bender and a deluge of earth came up to sweep over Korra, but at the last moment, she launched herself into the air with an earth column, escaping the wave. The flash of a familiar thought... Korra then broke off a massive crag and pushed it at Avan. There was a split second of panic as he quickly realized he could not control something of this size, but he then pulled water from the ocean and assaulted the earth with what seemed like thousands of razor thin slivers of water. The mass of earth yielded, shattering into harmless pebbles that showered down them both. Tenzin finally stood up, "Korra! Avan! I think that is enough!" Korra and Avan looked at one another and dropped to the ground, exhausted, covered in a muddy sweat. "How long had we been at this?" they both thought.

Asami went to Korra with a disapproving expression, "Korra, how are we supposed to go out with you looking like this?" Korra glanced at herself, realizing now that earth bending may not have been the best idea in her nice clothes before a night out. "It's OK Sami, I can wash up really quick here, and I'm sure I have an extra set of clothes in my room here."

"So?" Asami asked. "So what?" Korra questioned. "What did you think of Avan? It looked like you guys were really going at it; don't you think that you may have been a little tough on him?" Korra quickly responded, "It was awesome! I mean I started out trying to judge just what I could throw at him, but he has some serious skills! Maybe in the end I might have gotten just a tiny but carried away, but he handled it just fine, right? I can't remember the last time I have been able to have fun bending like that with someone who wasn't trying to kill me at the same time!" Korra was like a little girl again who had just been given back her favorite, lost toy. She had a huge smile of satisfaction pasted on her face. Asami's expression also softened at the sight and she couldn't help but reply with a smile of approval for her girlfriend. "Go get cleaned up you," she ordered as she gave her a punch in the shoulder.

Kya asked Avan, "Are you all right?" Avan nodded, "I don't think I have ever had a workout quite like that! Korra really is an amazing bender, I would hate to be on the receiving end of the Avatar state." Jinora and Ikki were equally impressed, "That was amazing Avan! You really held your own, with Korra of all people!" Avan blushed a bit at that. Tenzin chimed in, "Well, I expect this place to get put back together tomorrow morning, but for now, let's head back inside."

Avan cleaned up before returning to the dining hall. Everyone was there except Korra and Asami, including Mako and Bolin. Bolin gave Avan a rough bear hug, "I heard you really gave Korra a run for her money!" Avan replied, "I don't know about that. I don't think I had much left in the tank and I'm pretty sure she was just kicking it into gear." Korra walked in saying, "Don't sell yourself short, I wasn't pulling punches if that is what you're thinking. We will definitely have to do that again sometime!" Tenzin added, "Perhaps away from the island next time."

"Bolin," Korra said, "you should spar with Avan, all those movers might be making you a bit soft around the edges!" She gave his sides a little pinch. As the four of them started out, Korra turned and asked, "Avan, do you want to join us?" She exchanged looks with her companions, Mako gave a shrug, Bolin's puppy face seemed to indicate agreement and Asami nodded, happy to go along with her girlfriend's idea. Avan questioned, "Are you sure you don't mind? I mean, I would love to see the city. I have been here for about a month, but still haven't managed to spend much time on the mainland." Korra reiterated the invitation and so the five of them headed for Asami's speed boat and headed for some of the city's nightlife. After battling with Avan, Korra felt she should get to know him better. It wasn't just out of a sense of friendship, but something deeper that she felt the need to interrogate.

It was the first time the original Team Avatar as a whole had spent time with Avan. Though the four of them were very close and had shared so much history, they were not exclusive. Somehow, even when reminiscing of their previous adventures, they did so in a way where Avan did not feel left out. For Mako and Bolin, it was actually the first time spending any real time with Avan. Up until now, they had only shared a passing hello or a short conversation about nothing at the Air Temple. The three of them bonded quickly, however, exchanging hard time stories of time growing up with no parents on the streets. Avan hung on onto every word of when they were coming up in the Pro-Bending circuit. "You never mentioned that you did were a Pro-Bender too Korra!" Avan said in surprise, "I mean I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are probably the most 'pro' bender there can be." The other four laughed at the comment. "I never even thought of it that way!" said Korra with a tear in her eye. Without intention, the group partially broke up into separate conversations. Korra and Asami couldn't help but to descend into a more personal discussion of what was going on in their lives and plans with one another. They were both so busy, that they couldn't help but take advantage of any of the moments that they could extract for each other.

"Don't worry about them, this happens for a little while almost every time we get together," Bolin commented. "They will come back to us after they catch up a bit," Mako added. Asami reached over and gave Mako a "thanks for understanding" touch on the shoulder. Mako and Bolin shared some of their memories of their parents with Avan. It was obvious that the anger they felt towards their murders had softened significantly over the years, but the memories of their parents were still strong. "If you don't mind us asking, how was it that you ended up on the streets?" Mako asked. Korra and Asami continued their own conversation, but their ears piqued at the question.

"I loved my mom and my sister," Avan started slowly. "I think my mom did her best to teach me to live a good life in this world. She had to work more than her fair share to keep our family afloat. I remember many times that she would try to take my sister and I out to a park or to the zoo even though she was so tired. There were many times that I remember her being just so worn out." Avan took in a deep breath. He let out a pained chuckle, "I remember once when we were on the train to the zoo and she fell asleep, totally exhausted. Even like that she still wanted to do everything she could for my sister and I. My sister thought we should just let her sleep there. Little did we know how many times we would go around on that line, it must have been two or three hours! We tried to do what we could to take care of her." Avan paused a moment. "My sister was about 4 years older than me. She was so much more than a sister, more like a second mom to me." By this time, Korra and Asami both had become silent and were listening to Avan's story. "Trying to keep everything together I guess everyone had to try and do their part. I just wish I could have seen all of it earlier and done more. They both worked so hard to give me a normal life and shield me from the reality of the world." Avan went on for some time telling stories about his sister standing in for his mom when she just wasn't able to make it and about his mom standing up for complete strangers in the lower ring just because it was the right thing to do. "Without their sense of responsibility for the community, I don't know what I might have ended up doing with my life...I certainly would not have ended up sitting in this place with the four of you." Avan cracked a weak smile. Bolin chimed in with a comment, "You mentioned your mom and sister a lot, what happened to your dad?" They all exchanged glances upon seeing Avan's face drop slightly and take on a slightly more reddish tint. His hands unconsciously began to wring at the tablecloth.

Avan's voice took on a different, darker tone, "My father..." The way it was spoken sent a chill down Asami's spine. "I wish I could known more when I was growing up. My mom and sister both protected me from the truth. If only I had known, I don't know, maybe I could have done something." Avan shook his head. Almost with teeth bared, "My father was a thief, a gambler, a drinker, a manipulator. I mean he wasn't always that way, I have flashes of memory when I was young when we were together as a family and things were normal, and things didn't just change overnight, but how did it go so far? He was home less and less, thought things were pretty normal with just the three of us. They never told me where he went or why he was gone. By the time I was ten or eleven, I had learned what my mom and sister already knew, to fear when my father came around. My sister and I would often try to be away for whatever reason we could come up with. Unfortunately, my mom was the one who had to bear the brunt of his wrath. I don't think I ever saw my father sober after twelve. He came around for my mom or to take money from us; I can't understand why she put up with it. Maybe I didn't realize then that we just didn't ave a choice. We were too poor to move and I know mom feared him. He was good at that. I had heard him use us against her if she ever got ideas."

"He came home that night, we didn't think we would see him for a while since it had only been a week. Even I saw that fire in his eyes, he was different even from his usual vile self. He was mad at where his life had ended up, mad at why he was so poor, mad at why my mom kept his kids away from him. Something set him off that night. My sister and I heard the yelling from the other room; there were crashes of all sorts, dishes, furniture being thrown. Horror racked us when it became silent. When we finally rushed in, my father had his hands wrapped around my mom's neck." Avan's voice was trembling. These memories were etched in his mind; the scenes would never leave him. "His hands looked so big on my mom's neck. She...she was so pale; there was no life in her. My sister ran over to her and pleaded with my father, pounding on him. I can still see his huge hands, knuckles white; deep valleys imprinted forever on her neck. He then began to rant about everyone out to get him; we were going to get him, he couldn't trust us. He next turned on my sister before we even knew what has happening, smashing her into a table." Avan became somewhat introspective, "Why didn't I do anything? They had protected me my whole life and all of this happened and I didn't do anything but stand there." He continued, quickly now, "I barely remember individual events, he beat my sister, he beat me. It was a blur of fists and pain. He was possessed by something. He was trying to kill us." Avan paused a moment. Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin were all silent, expressionless. Avan's expression changed ever so subtly from one of pure anger, hate, and disgust to that mixed with regret and sadness. "He grabbed a knife and began mumbling about disposing of everyone, everyone who ever hurt him. He came toward me and stopped, I thought I was over, and he plunged the knife deep in his own chest. No words. They were all dead. It was a couple days in the hospital before I could manage again. I survived, but I was alone. That was where my story started."

Korra was the first to speak, "I'm so sorry, I don't really know what to say." Mako put a hand on Avan's shoulder. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drag all of you down with this," Avan said apologetically, wiping tears from his eyes. Asami spoke up, "I know none of us can know how you feel going through all that, but just remember that there are others around you who can share some of your pain." Asami went on to describe a bit about Hiroshi and how his path had crossed both her own life and the lives of the others. "I know I was so thankful to get that last chance for closure with him before he died. You were robbed of that chance, but you also can't blame yourself for his actions. None of us know what drove him to do those things and you will probably never, ever be able to forgive him, but you have to try and forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault," Asami said reassuringly. "Thank you," said Avan. After another awkward silence within the group, Avan looked at Korra and, in a hushed tone, said, "I didn't realize the requirements to hang out with the Avatar were so steep, no wonder people are afraid of you." Korra's face scrunched up, puzzled. "I mean, everyone here has lost their parents, right?" Avan clarified. Korra's face had the look of shock. Avan cracked a small smile. Asami, Mako, Bolin and Avan all swapped looks and their serious faces were shattered by boisterous laughter. Korra forced a smile, "Guys, I don't think it's very funny." Bolin responded, "I never thought of that one!" Mako added, "Korra, don't worry about it, I think that we have all grown from these events in our lives. It isn't that we don't still feel pain from it, but we don't dwell on the pain any longer and it can be this adversity that drives us to be better and part of what put us here, together." The bar had long since shut down for the night, though between the presence of the Avatar and Asami Sato, no one was going to be kicking them out, but all realized it was time to turn in for the evening.


	4. No Turning Back

Several months later...

Asami had a full morning of meetings and was feeling worn out. While she always insisted on being well dressed, there was still a difference between what she would wear out all day and what she wore when meeting with her equals. She also wanted to switch to her new Satomobile convertible, the newest model of course. In order to keep herself prim and proper, she had taken out a more boring sedan to get to the office in the morning. At home, she put on a more relaxed set of clothing, still elegant by Korra's standards. Freshened up and hair in place, she headed back out. She was scheduled for two plant visits rounded out by the typical load of paperwork in the evening that seemed to always populate her desk now that Future Industries was back in full swing; however, she would never make it back to her desk today.

The plant visits were uneventful. The engineer in her wanted to check up on production and look at new tooling that had arrived. She was always more interested in the real work and process of her factories than the business end of things. She found that this attitude did have the positive benefit of strengthening ties with her workers. It meant a lot to the line workers that they knew their CEO was not only capable of the grunt work they did day in and day out, but she actually enjoyed it. Asami made it a point to make several appearances in her plants just for these types of visits. More impressive was that she remembered a worker who put on lug nuts just as well as her board members, despite the fact she may only see them once in a year. She even liked to keep tabs on these random people she met and was curious how they grew within her company.

Not looking forward to the rest of her day, she headed to her Satomobile. She took a long route back to Future Industries headquarters to enjoy the day. She had just settled into the trip; it was a beautiful day, the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair, filtering down to her scalp was wonderful. Always blessed with such silky hair, she never even bothered to tie it back even when in the convertible. It would take her all of thirty seconds for her hair to obey command and fall back into place, like she just left home. Making a left turn, she saw a road block up ahead. "I wasn't aware of scheduled construction on this route," she thought. She waved over one of the workers, "What's going on? You don't have any sign-age for this work you know." He stood in front of her vehicle. "Emergency gas repair Ma'am," he responded, waving his hands. As she glanced around, the hair stood up on her neck as she saw a truck barreling towards her. The reality of what was about to happen swept over her.

She had no time to react to the in-coming vehicle, it was already on her. From years of racing, she instinctively braced herself. The hollow sound of metal on metal, glass shattering, flashes of darkness and blurred surroundings. The crash left her disoriented and her Satomobile was completely disabled. By the time she even reached her seatbelt to attempt an escape, the worker was back at her side. She felt a sting on her chest followed by the rapid creep of numbness over her body. She stared at the worker, trying to form words, still uncertain of what was happening. She tried as hard as she could to resist this feeling of sleep, but she only had seconds before the light closed in around her and she was unconscious.

The drug lingered in her. Asami's eyes opened slowly, heavily. It took what seemed to be several minutes for her to recall the events that led her to this predicament. Everything was a blur, the little light there was still seemed blinding. She tried to ascertain where she was, though all she would determine was that she was inside what appeared to be a small prison cell. "How long has it been?" she contemplated. She arms responded sloppily and she could not stand up. The numbness sapped all strength away from her. Through the solitary porthole in the door, she could see a light approaching.

"Good work, she appears to have minimal injury despite the rather brutal methods you choose to employ," she heard a voice say. A light was shone into the cell, Asami's eyes still could not take it and she had to look away. "You must have a rather resilient constitution Ms. Sato, you are the first one to have woken up prior to treatment. Unfortunately, we need you to be asleep for maximum effect, so sorry about this inconvenience." Quickly her thoughts digested the exchange. What treatment? This voice seems familiar and the formality seems out of place. She again felt a small sting, to her leg this time. She knew the sensation. Before losing all awareness, she heard their parting exchange. "Get her ready, we don't have much time. We may not be able to get close to the Avatar, but she can." Fear griped her as she passed out.

* * *

"Ms. Sato? Ms. Sato?" Asami recognized the voice of her long time personal physician, Doctor Su, "How are you feeling?" the doctor asked as she proceeded with her exam. Korra paced in the background, not yet noticed; as much as she wanted to interrupt, she felt it was best to let the doctor complete her work first. After she finished the exam, she squatted by Asami's side, "You are going to need to take it easy. Physically you aren't in too bad of shape, some deep bruising. It is probably the cause of the weakness you feel in your legs, but it should clear up as you heal, a couple of days to a week I would guess. My one concern is that you must have taken a good knock on your noggin'." She pointed to purplish Asami's forehead and turned to Korra. "Everything looks fine, but you should make sure to get her to me or another doctor if she develops any signs of mental distress, confusion, memory loss, dizziness, things like that. Other than that, she just needs to rest. It's a good thing you were wearing your seatbelt." With that Doctor Su packed up and headed out of the room. Asami logged a thought in her mind, "Consider designs for added supplemental protection to prevent collisions with vehicle interior in the event of an accident." Korra noticed the familiar expression on Asami's face, "You're thinking about work even now aren't you?" Asami turned to her with a smile.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck," Asami uttered, reaching for her forehead. Korra laughed and spoke up, "Well, that's good because you were!" Still surprised, Asami's face visibly lightened upon hearing the familiar voice. "What are you doing here?" Asami asked. "I thought you were in the Fire Nation dealing with...," she thought hard, "...with, some, what was it, Red Lotus something?" "Well, yes," Korra replied, "but it turned out to not be a very large organization, so got the situation to a point where the Fire Nation should easily be able to handle the clean up." "So you had already pulverized the bad guys then?" Asami added. Korra smiled and shuffled about a bit, "Well, something like that." Korra switched back to Asami, "It's lucky, I guess, that I decided to come back early. Lin radioed Tenzin and I came over here as soon as he found me. Do you remember what happened?" Asami tried to collect herself, "I remember I was driving to the office from a factory visit, I remember a truck coming at me, it's still so muddy in my head." Korra gave Asami a gentle bear hug, "I'm just glad you are OK. My heart dropped when I heard the news that you were in a crash. I don't know what I would have done if..." Korra held onto Asami a bit tighter and Asami let go a small wince, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean..." Korra pulled back, Asami saw that her usually, stalwart girlfriend had tears streaming down her face. "It's OK, I guess I am still a bit tender. Where'd my tough girl go?" Korra responded amidst the tears and laughter, "That accident must have given you some water-bending power or something." They held each other for some time.

Asami was elated at Korra's suggestion to move to Air Temple Island for some rest and recovery, even if only temporary. It would mean they could spend much more time together, for which both their lives often did not allow. Asami directed Korra from closet to closet, collecting a suitcase, makeup bag and various pieces of clothing to cover multiple potential occasions. Korra laughed at what she thought it must look like bouncing back and forth. "Do you really need all this stuff?" Korra questioned. "You know I like to be prepared," Asami quickly responded. Korra could not believe the amount of clothes that Asami had between the two closets, two dressers and giant armoire. Asami was quick to point out that this was just her "normal, in-season" wardrobe and that all the rest and the formal wear was stored elsewhere. Korra blew a pointed sigh Asami's way, to which she replied with a giant grin. Asami caught Korra lingering at some of her clothes, "You know, it's not so bad to have a small collection of not so practical clothes too." Korra started to form a reply, but then, taking inventory of her wardrobe, realizing that she COULD take inventory of her wardrobe in mere moments, decided not to say anything. Korra had always marveled at Asami's appearance, and not just because they were together. She had this amazing ability to always be so together. Everywhere she seemed to be perfectly dressed, everything in the right place and it never looked like she put any effort into it. "Maybe we should take a shopping trip when you are better," Korra said with uncertainty. Asami's eyes lit up, "Definitely!"

Asami's legs were a bit wobbly and she held on to Korra to steady herself out to the waiting Satomobile. Korra thought it best to not put Asami through her driving. She had been improving, but they both knew who did the driving in this couple. The trip to the island was fairly quiet. Asami leaned on Korra's chest and closed her eyes, listening to her heartbeat. Korra held onto her and stroked her dark hair, looking at the passing cityscape. Korra thought back through so many events they had experienced together and where they were in their lives together. "Asami, I am so lucky to have you in my life, you make me feel so complete." Asami softly placed her had on Korra's cheek and lifted her head up to meet eye to eye. "Korra, I don't think I could ever describe the feeling I have ever morning when I wake up, knowing that there is part of you that is just mine, that we each have a part of one another that no one else ever will," with that Asami slowly pressed warm lips against Korra's and tightened the grip around her neck. They held a long embrace as a few tears mixed on their cheeks, both happy, content.

* * *

When they arrived at Air Temple Island, almost everyone was there to meet them. They expressed how glad they were that Asami was on her feet. They had already prepared a room for them and led them up after exchanging short greetings. The kids piled in, depositing Asami's luggage. Pena pointed out some fruit and snacks that she left in case Asami was hungry at odd hours and that they could eat meals there so Asami didn't have to come down to the dining hall. Asami expressed her gratitude for everything they all did and for letting her stay at the island again. Tenzin spoke up, "Asami, you should know that you are always welcome here, and you don't have to wait until you're hit by a truck to stay with us." Everyone smiled at the usually stoic Tenzin's comment. Pema asked that they let her know if they needed anything then began to motion everyone to give them some time to settle in. Kya and Avan lingered a bit behind. "I would like to have you over for a healing session or two just to take a look at you, not that I don't trust regular doctors or anything. I mean if you would like to," Kya suggested. "I think that would not be a bad idea and if I seem to recall the healing pools feeling awfully good anyway." Kya nodded in agreement, "Then I will see you later then." Avan left saying, "I'm glad you are OK Asami." On her way out, Kya added, with a smirk on face, "Oh, I hope the room is setup to your liking, Pema put me in charge." Korra and Asami were both puzzled by this, but then realized there were two beds placed in the room, one small and one king size. They exchanged devious smiles, "I love that woman."

They took some time to catch each other up on busy lives. Korra sat up at the head of the bed looking down at Asami who had laid down opposite with her legs draped over Korra's. Speech gave way to looks and touch, Korra gently massaged Asami's feet and calves. Asami's head was tilted back at the end of the bed, her dark hair splayed out and flowing over the edge of the mattress. She let escape small sounds of utter bliss in rhythm with Korra's kneading. "Ahh, your hands feel wonderful, could you just keep this up forever," Asami said with a look of complete contentment. Korra looked down upon her girl, a guise filled with love. After a bit, Korra stopped and flexed her hands and laid down. She gripped Asami's hips and pulled her close, into a tight spoon. Asami could feel Korra's body all along her legs and thighs. Korra's firm grip on her hip and chest pressed against her back. Her breath gently teased at the back of Asami's neck. She wished for this feeling to never go away. They fell into a peaceful sleep, wrapped tightly together, breathing as one.

Korra felt Asami stir against her a few hours later. They awoke as they slept, in a tight embrace. "Wakey wakey love," Korra whispered. "Mmmmm," was the only sound Asami managed in return. "I know I am the last person to push for getting up, but I think it would be a good idea to see Kya before dinner. Even if it's just for me, I would like for her to check you out," Korra petitioned. "I thought you were the one doing all the checking out," Asami said with a smile, "No, you're right, let's head over there. I would like to find out if they can help me with my rubber legs." Korra jumped up, offering her shoulder. Out of habit, Asami sat herself up and gathered her hair together and straightened her clothes. She gripped Korra's offered hand and stood, still unsure. "Maybe a little better than before, but I think I still need you to walk." Asami reached over and turned Korra's head for a kiss, "Thank you." "Sami, after all the pain I have put you through in the past, I probably owe you several years of substitute crutch time. I love you and you should know I would do anything for you." Together they made their way over to the healing rooms.

Avan was inside alone when they arrived. He was working on a globe of water, removing droplets, splitting and recombining it. Korra interrupted, "Hey Avan, what are you doing?" "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you come in. Here you shouldn't be standing around," Avan said offering a chair to Asami. "I was working on purifying a batch of water. We have been pretty busy lately and our stores are getting low. It's kind of a tedious process so I try to take care of it so Kya doesn't have to deal with it. Speaking of, let me go and let her know you are here, she should just be in the other room." As he got up, Kya entered the room speaking, "It is tiresome! Healing has never been as enjoyable as with Avan here." She shot Avan over a smile. "I guess you guys have been getting along then?" Korra probed leadingly. "I think we have both had so much to teach each other," she glanced at Avan, "admittedly, at first, I thought it was just he who had so much to pick up in water-bending, but it has really gotten me into a different frame of mind as well. I don't know if it has something to do with the earth-bending background or something else, but the way he approaches the art of healing and the manipulation of the energies is so distinct from all the water-benders with which I worked before. I can't remember when I was as excited about our art, nor when I felt I was doing as much good! It has helped me to even better understand Tenzin and his perpetual desire to learn and pass on his knowledge." Kya seemed like a giddy school-girl to them and they both couldn't help but crack wide grins. "Sorry, I know you didn't come here to hear my rambling, let's take a look at you Asami. You can change back there." Kya motioned Asami towards the screened area of the room where Korra helped her out of her outer clothes. Avan excused himself, saying he would be working in the adjacent room if he was needed. She had been through this before and had already prepared with a swim suit underneath her clothing.

There was always something different about the water in the healing pools. As Korra helped to lower her in, it was as if she were stepping into nothingness. The temperature was absolutely perfect so as she was eased in, the weight of her body slowly dissolved, but from feel alone, she could not tell where the water stopped on her body. Asami always wondered what the benders did to their waters, if only they could bottle the stuff, it would make a fortune. She rested her head against the edge of the pool, her dark hair spread out behind her, eyes closed, breathing slowly. Her only attachment to the world was Korra's hand, to which she held on the edge, out of the water. Korra sat cross-legged next the pool, quietly watching as Kya started to work.

Though Korra had watched Kya and other healers work many times, she was still mesmerized by them. She could perform minor healing quite adequately, but she had never been able to grasp the qualities needed for advanced healing and the use of the healing pools. As Kya slowly moved her body, the water followed her command, flowing over her girlfriend. After some time, the water began to take on the characteristic glow for which healers were famous. Korra watched as many of the bruises on Asami's body melted away, leaving only the normal, pale texture behind. Kya renewed her concentration; Korra could see she was now focusing her energy on Asami's lower body. Sweat broke on her forehead and her face began to lose some of its earlier tranquility. After a few moments, Kya stopped and wiped her brow. "Korra do you know if Asami's doctor gave her anything, perhaps for pain?" Kya asked. Both girls looked at one another, Korra responded, "He was just finishing by the time I arrived, so I don't know." "There is something blocking the flow of energy in your legs, making your lower body weak. I can try to pull it out, but it may be a bit uncomfortable." As she worked, Korra saw tension on Asami's face, but she stayed silent. Kya's face also showed signs of struggle and pain. She never understood how the water-bending created that connection between the healer and the patient. The water around her legs had taken on a misty appearance by the time Kya stopped treatment. "There, all finished," Kya stated. "I was able to pull out some of, well, whatever I felt in your legs. It is throughout your body, but was concentrated there, you should have a bit of an easier time walking now. The rest is up to your body to clear out itself, but I think you should be better in a few days."

Korra helped Asami out of the pool. She could already sense a vast difference in the amount of weight that was being put upon her shoulder. She left Asami to change, Kya beckoned Korra over, "Has Asami been okay since the accident?" "What do you mean?" Korra responded, concerned. "I don't know exactly how to describe it...it was something in her chi paths, they just felt erratic. I'm sorry, I don't know how to interpret it. It is probably due to the accident, from the bruising she must have had a knock to her head, just make sure you keep an eye on her okay?" Korra pushed concern to the back of her mind and went back to see if any help was needed. Kya asked Avan to come in, "I always underestimate what these healing sessions take out of me; to be young again. Doesn't help that it is almost a new moon." Asami, Korra, it's getting late, you two should have some dinner and get rest, that is the best thing for her." "Ok mom," Korra said with a grin. "Avan, is it all right if I leave this for you to clean up? It's been a long day." Avan nodded. As they were leaving, Korra took a jab at him, "So she gets all the glory and you get stuck with cleaning up after her eh?" Avan tossed a sponge Korra's way, which she easily dodged. Asami stood under her own strength, though Korra jumped up to hold her. Wavering, she smiled at Korra, "Thanks, I feel so much lighter now, but I think I will still need help." Kya brought in a pair of crutches, "I know you have a portable Avatar crutch, but if you want these..." Korra proceeded to whisk her up into her arms, "They can't do this though can they?" Kya laughed, "I will put them in your room later, just in case you need them. I bet in another day or so you won't even need her." Kya shot Asami a playful look, "Well not for getting around anyway." The three disbanded, leaving Avan to clean up.

Avan puzzled at the water left behind from the Asami's healing. It was as if there were a fog lying just under the surface. It swirled within itself, never fully combining with the water around it. Normally, he would just bend the water into the disposal channel that dumped the used water into the Yue Bay, but his curiosity could not leave this alone. Instead he sat by the edge and started the tedious process of purification, collecting the impurities.

Tenzin's family and the air nomads were together for dinner, joined by Korra and Asami. Pema had put together a special meal, arrays of dumplings, cakes and buns and a wide variety of fruit tarts. They all thanked Pema, knowing the pains she went through to make so many of the laborious baked goodies. Even Korra extolled the meal even though it still followed the meat-less traditions of the air nomads. Pema was flush and beaming with all the praise. Meelo doted on Asami, ensuring that she had every one of the delicacies available, offering pillows for comfort and anything else he could find. Rohan commented to everyone's amusement, "Why don't we get this stuff when one of us gets hurt mom?" Pema responded with a smile, "If I were to cook like this when any of my kids was hurt, I would never be able to leave the kitchen." The meal transformed into a cacophony of voices, everyone talking and laughing, a few listening. Tenzin moved over to Pema and wrapped his arms around his wife, a fairly rare public display of affection for the old master, and whispered to her, "It is so wonderful to see all of them together like this. All of them have gone through so much to bring about peace, to see them together laughing." Pema turned, wiped a tear that threatened to spill from her husband's eye and whispered back, "Yes it is, you old softy" as she settled back into his embrace.

As the dinner started to wind down, Lin arrived. "How are you doing kid?" she asked Asami, "You look pretty good for the lick you took." Tenzin stood up, "Lin, to what do we owe the visit, we weren't expecting you." "Oh, do I need an invitation to come over here now?" she joshed. "No, no, you are always welcome of course!" Tenzin responded with a slight tone of discomfort. "Calm down old man, I know that, not that it would matter," shooting an ominous look Tenzin's way. "I wish I could say this was entirely a cordial visit, but I have a bit of business to discuss with the girlfriends over here." Lin took a few moments to greet everyone and grab a couple of the leftovers, they looked too good to resist, then sat down next to Korra and Asami.

"Is it normal for the chief of police to personally visit anyone involved in a vehicle accident?" Korra said in jest. "No, but when it concerns the CEO of the largest company in Republic City and there are suspicious circumstances surrounding it, then yes, I will make a personal visit," Lin said deliberately. Expressions betrayed the feeling of unease at the word. "Suspicious?" Asami questioned. Lin's face took on air of concern, "What do you remember from the accident?" Korra looked to her partner and could see concentration move over her face. "I...I still am having trouble clearly seeing what happened." "Why don't you start from where you do remember," Lin prompted.

"I was on my way from my second plant tour, heading back to my office. It was a really nice day, I had the top down so I took an extended route there," she paused a moment and her voice became more unsure, "I must have not been paying attention to what I was doing and next thing I knew a truck was coming right for me." Asami caught her breath, "Spirits, is the driver of the truck okay?" Lin assured her that the other driver was fine, in fact uninjured. Lin spoke, "He claimed that you came fast around a corner and lost control of your car. He was unable to react in time and hit you." Korra looked at Asami, then Lin, "Lin, I know we have at times not quite followed the letter of the law as far as driving through the city, but that was only when we were on, um, business. Asami drives all the time and she never joy rides on the public streets, believe me, I have tried to get her to let it go. She always tells me that stuff stays on the track." Lin stopped Korra, "Yes I know, I wasn't accusing her of anything. I've seen her race a few times, I know what she can do, which is why the whole losing control thing seemed a bit fishy to me, even if she were speeding." She looked to Asami, "You recall driving into the on-coming truck?" Asami said, doubtfully, "Well yes...I think. I'm sorry, it's so frustrating, I just can't quite remember." "Do you remember when you left for the office?" Asami again thought back to the day and answered with some excitement that she could finally give a response, "I don't know exactly what time, but I know I hadn't eaten lunch. I remember deciding whether to pick up something on the way to the office or not." Lin thought a moment, "So assuming you were keeping a normal schedule, it probably wasn't later than noon or one o'clock. That actually corresponds to the clock in your Satomobile. It was damaged in the crash so we can't know for sure about the real time, but this gives some credence to my suspicions. You were not checked into the hospital until after four in the afternoon. The truck driver's story supported that." Lin stood up, "You just focus on getting well, let me handle the investigation, but now I am certain there's something else going on here. If you remember anything else let me know." With that Lin grabbed one more of Pema's buns, unable to resist, said good-byes and headed for the docks.

They discussed what Lin had told them and after some time realized there was no use getting hung up on it. There certainly was reason for concern, but there was nothing further they could do. They decided not to mention this to Tenzin and the others, what was there to tell yet? The evening was still early, but it had been a long day so they headed back to their room.

* * *

Avan had been working for a couple of hours by the time Kya came back to check on him with a platter of food in hand. "What have you been up to? I brought you some dinner, Pema made some special treats for everyone tonight." She saw that he was still working on the water of the healing pool from earlier, a globule of water floating in front of him as he was deep in concentration. He let the water fall back into the pool and fell back, laying down on the cool, earthen floor. "I couldn't leave this stuff alone; I have been working on pulling it out of the pool. It is somehow tightly bound to the water and has been much more difficult to separate than the usual impurities that we find." He pointed to the glass bottle where he had been collecting the substance, there was at most a few drops worth of liquid with a milky appearance. "I've been at it for some time and this is all I have managed to recover. I don't know what this is, but I don't think any doctor gave this to Asami." Avan reached to a large vessel and bended out a ball of purified healing water. "Just touch your finger to it, just barely." Kya hesitated, "What is going to happen?" "Don't worry, I am ready," Avan insisted. Kya slowly brought her finger close, switching her stare between the glass and Avan. He was deeply concentrating on Kya's hand as it approached. As her finger just touched the cloudy surface of the substance, she felt a numbness shoot from her fingertip and pulled her arm back violently. Before she could even speak, Avan absorbed Kya's hand into the ball of water he had readied, feeling quickly returned and she was able to relax. "It was like someone removed my finger and I could feel it rushing into my hand! Like my body was being ripped away from me!" Kya exclaimed. "I felt the same way," Avan said. "Are you OK?" He nodded back, "Yes, luckily I was here with an ample supply of water and was able to bend myself as soon I felt it."

They stared at the vile drops of liquid in silence for a moment. "You are right," Kya said, "I can't see any way that something like this would be used for any valid medical purpose, but what then?" "That's what I don't know...and why was it in Asami to begin with?" They stared at one another. "We should inform Tenzin," Kya finally concluded, "Let's go now." Avan capped the vile vial he extracted, secured it into a pouch on his belt and they both headed out to find Tenzin. He was as puzzled as Kya and Avan. With only this one piece of the puzzle they couldn't make heads or tails, but they too had suspicions about something deeper going on. He said he would try to radio Lin in the morning to discuss it further and see what she thought. They were satisfied with this and headed back to their own rooms.

* * *

Lin had made it back to headquarters and was just sitting down to her desk when there was a knock at her door. It slid open and she saw Mako standing there with his notebook. "Mako, what do you have for me?" Lin commanded.

"Chief, I was looking into Asami's incident and the more I dig into this, the more things just don't add up. First thing is that no one can account for how Asami even arrived at the hospital. Normally the ambulances log patients being dropped off, but there are no records of any drop off for her." "How did she get checked in then?" Lin questioned. "The head of emergency remembered her being brought in by a EMT, well someone dressed as an one anyway, but she said with all the activity they get, she didn't really pay any attention to him. It wasn't until I was questioning them that they even realized there was no log entry for her." Mako continued, "Next, the timing that you caught. I don't even know how you think about this stuff with everything else you have to do as chief." Lin replied, "Mako, you can't get to where I am or do this job without being able to pick up on every little detail or contemplate any possibility, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. We should play some Pai Sho sometime." She shot Mako a devilish smile. "Go on." "So Asami's arrival at the hospital lines up with what the truck driver claimed and with when we were called out for the accident. I talked with the scene investigator. He still hasn't put together his final report, but he mentioned two things. He arrived shortly after the call, the victims were already gone from the scene. Both Satomobiles were cold, so it couldn't have just happened, and he believes, based on the skid marks and damage, that Asami's convertible was stopped at the time it was hit." Mako stopped. Lin got up from her desk, "Let's go have another talk with our driver."

It was getting late into the evening when they arrived at a fairly nondescript apartment building, made their way up to the fourth floor and found unit 418. "Mr. Negi, Republic City police, we have a few questions we need to ask you," Mako stated as he knocked on the door. After a few moments, he tried again, knocking harder, "Mr. Negi!" Mako shrugged at Lin. She immediately lifted her foot, closed her eyes and stomped the ground. After a brief silence, she ordered Mako to stand back as she quickly bended the door to the apartment with its frame clean out of the wall and rushed inside. "Lin, what are you doing!?" Mako blurted as he ran in after her. His answer came swiftly. Negi was face down in the kitchen, motionless, dead. Lin rapidly turned to Mako with a barrage of orders, "Get investigators here immediately, tear this place apart. If I am right, we aren't going to find anything, but do it anyway. Get statements from neighbors, find out if anyone was seen lurking around or coming in and out. Once they are setup, get yourself and whoever you can collect to Air Temple Island. I don't know exactly what is happening, but it is going to go down soon." "Yes chief!" was all she heard. "If this is some kind of conspiracy, they are cleaning up loose ends; they are ready to act," Lin thought as she darted down the stairs, "Blast it all, I should have just stayed on the island."

* * *

Darkness blanketed the island, only a few torches remained lit to light a few of the main paths. Tenzin shot up from sleep and sat in stillness. "Dear," Pema mumbled sleepily, "what's wrong." After a few moments with no answer, Pema too stirred from concern, "Honey, what is it?" "Something is not right, I can feel it in the air." Jinora floated in with the lightest of steps, even in the darkness, Tenzin could sense from the movement who it was. "Dad, do you feel it too?" "Jinora, wake everyone, then stay with your mother. Go in silence." Jinora was also a master, but she could sense when it was the wrong time to argue with her father about such things. She left as quietly as she came. Pema was already dressed, she left to collect their children. Tenzin walked toward the main temple when he felt the presence of others...intruders.

He couldn't see how many, but felt that they were more than just a handful. The trespassers were cloaked in black, with the minimal light available, they were merely blotches on the background of the night. Tenzin concentrated on the movement of the air around him. A small twitch from behind. He dodged to hear a solid 'thwack' to the ground. They are using darts of some sort. He sent an air blast in its direction, but he felt it miss the mark. Several more times their darts failed to reach their target. He was far to agile. Even attempting to overwhelm Tenzin from all directions was to no avail as he whipped himself into a cocoon of air that simply deflected the onslaught. Tenzin quickly began to hone in on the attackers and was able to reduce their numbers with more blasts. He heard a whistle and felt a shift in tactics. They came upon him in force. "How could so many attackers have made it to the island, so close to his family without being detected," he thought. He sent numbers of the attackers flying with tornadoes and wide walls of air. He sent forth piercing funnels of wind from hands, feet and lips, but they were relentless. One of the darts finally found its mark. Tenzin felt his bending drain and his strength along with it. Left without his bending, he was still formidable, but it wasn't long before he was subdued.

Tenzin pleaded, "What is it you want?" but no answer came. The attackers remained as they started, silent. He could see the figures gathering the unconscious forms strewn about the courtyard and carrying them away. Lights appeared from the direction of the dormitories, "It must be the others," Tenzin thought. It made its way towards them. The group did not move up to attack, some waited, others scattered. Tenzin yelled words of warning, "Stay back from the courtyard; there's too many of them and they have chi-blocking weapons!" Though they had bound him, they made no effort to silence or disable him, as even bound, he could still shuffle along the ground. They others still advanced, Tenzin knew they would. Those he could see all faced the incoming group. Suddenly he felt a tremor. "Tenzin!" It was Lin.

The ground opened up to swallow several of the attackers and he could hear the sound of rock crashing upon bone. Lin did not need any light, she could sense all of them as clear as day. The group was thrown in disarray as they changed formation to meet the new threat. Lin took up position next to Tenzin, throwing up a wall to protect him, "Are you okay old friend?" Tenzin tried to quickly sum up what he gathered of the group's abilities. Lin had to throw up several new walls to protect from the incoming projectiles of which Tenzin warned. She began to chisel away at their numbers as the rest of the air benders had joined the fray. They threw torches about the courtyard to provide better light for the foray. This only allowed them to see the extent of the numbers in front of them. Whoever they were, they had come in force and prepared. Lin attempted to restrain a few with metal bands, but it was ineffective as others came to their aid to release them. The air nomads pushed the invaders back initially. Though they were not as skilled as Tenzin individually, they were able to combine their strength to great effect. The tide turned once again; however, as the attackers still had numbers on their side. They were able to slowly use their chi-blocking to reduce the numbers in the air nomads' defense. Bumi, Daw and Kai all fell victim to chi-blocking and had to take shelter.

Tenzin heard the sounds of the battle increase further and looked to see Jinora riding atop a vortex of air, cleaving through the lines of attackers as she powered through. She moved with such power and grace, sending blasts of air in all directions while simultaneously evading and throwing off the attempts at blocking her powers. Throwing another powerful wall of air downward, she cleared a path for the chi-blocked benders back to the main building, where they made an escape. Tenzin placed his hand on Lin's shoulder, "That's my girl." Jinora landed near them, "Dad, are you okay." Lin's face showed great frustration and disgust, "What is their scheme; they are just toying with us. Why aren't they pushing their attack? They are just holding their ground here. I hate to say it, but we are outnumbered and outclassed here."

* * *

It was still dark when Korra woke to the feeling of Asami's hand on her back. "Mmmm, Sami it's early, you should rest." There was no response. Asami gently traced the curves of Korra's back, up from her waist, along her spine, then caressing the ridges of her shoulder blades. Sleep quickly left Korra as feelings of love and lust began to well up inside her. She held Korra's shoulder and pulled her close to kiss her neck, on the verge of a bite. Korra exhaled quickly, it was difficult for her to contain the feelings that were surging through her. She lightly moved her hand down from Korra's shoulder, along her side, eliciting a laugh as Asami's touch tickled Korra's ribs, finally resting on Korra's hip. "Sami, what has gotten into you?" Still no response. The taller girl turned Korra onto her back and straddled over her. She held Korra's face in her hands and kissed her forehead, nose, cheeks, lips. The pressure of the woman on top of her in that moment sent new waves of warmth through her body. It was dark and Korra could only make out the curvy outline of Asami's body. She had never fully appreciated the way in which Asami's nightgowns could flow over her body. They left mystery, hints of the forbidden.

Asami stood up in front of Korra and moved her to the edge of the bed. Her kisses quickly became more forceful, neck, chest, stomach. She bit at Korra's earlobe. "Korra, don't you want this?" Asami asked. "Sami?" Something inside Korra caused her desire slowly dissolve into worry. "Sami, you're not acting yourself." She was roughly pushed down onto the bed and Asami crawled over top. Korra rolled out and flicked her finger to light the small lamp on the wall. Asami was stared at her from the bed, but something wasn't right. "Asami, what's wrong?" In the light, Asami's face lacked any expression of a lover. Nothing met Korra's eyes but a blank face, Asami's eyes, her beautiful, green eyes, devoid of spirit and transfixed on Korra's. Korra yelled out, "Asami! Snap out of it!" but there was no reaction.

It was at this moment that Korra noticed the distant sounds of a battle. "How long had that been going on? What is happening?" She could tell it involved the air-benders, but she had to stay and figure out what was happening with her Asami. Suddenly, a flash of light caught Korra's eyes, she instinctively dodged backwards. "Asami, please, I don't want to hurt you...I can't hurt you...Come back to me...," Korra pleaded. Asami's body relaxed slightly, she was covered in sweat. Tears. "Sami!" Korra was interrupted by a figure, cloaked head to toe, appearing at their window, "Asami, it is your duty," it spoke. Her poise became rigid, threatening, blade in hand. Asami slashed at Korra, catching her hand with the edge of the blade. She could feel energy leave her, this was not some ordinary weapon. Lunging forward in another attack, she left a shallow cut across Korra's stomach. The familiar feeling overtook her, chi-blocking. She tried to summon an air blast to knock Asami down, but nothing. The figure spoke again, "Asami, it is your duty."

Kya and Avan appeared in the doorway, both confused by the scene unfolding in front of them. "Asami isn't herself, she doesn't know what she is doing," Korra warned, chair in hand, defending herself. They turned to the figure in the window. "Worthless," the figure shouted, as he lunged for Korra with a sword drawn. Kya and Avan both reacted, drawing water from their skins, pinning him against the wall with ice. Asami brought a weak attack against Avan and Kya, but they easily evaded. Kya knocked Asami against the wall with water blast, she fell to the floor. Seeing a moment of opportunity for escape, fire exploded from the cloaked figure. The water-benders countered with their remaining water to protect the four. He had released himself from the ice. A whistle blew from outside. Clinging to the window, he addressed Korra, "This is only the beginning Avatar," then turned his gaze to Asami and spoke in a commanding tone, "Asami, you are finished," and leaped from the window. Avan and Korra ran to the window, but the intruder had already disappeared into the night. They all turned their attention back to Asami, to their horror, they saw her standing, with blade pointed. Korra opened her mouth, but could not summon any words. They were all paralyzed with disbelief of what was unfolding before them. Time froze in the room, they could only watch as she plunged the blade into her own chest. As she slumped onto the floor, Korra saw Asami's spirit return to eyes and fear to her face.

* * *

Jinora and Lin held position with Tenzin as the group refocused their attack on the two of them. Just as their situation seemed to turn dire, they distinctly heard a high whistle. Suddenly everything stopped. The black forms gathered unconscious companions and ran for the bay. Lin and Jinora tried to seize some of them, but they were still working as a group to escape and the battle had left the two of them too exhausted to continue their counter-offensive. They ran with speed that surprised Lin. As they escaped into the distance, she saw how they arrived. The attackers disappeared into the open mouth of a submarine. It slipped silently under the surface of the bay. They helped Tenzin up, trying to grasp what had happened. There was a blood-curdling scream from the direction of the women's dormitories. Lin spoke up with new urgency, "What about Korra and Asami?" Jinora answered, "Kya and Avan were going to their room to warn them." They looked at Tenzin, "Go! Don't worry about me!"

* * *

Korra lost all strength, legs buckling under her. The twist in her heart shot pain throughout her whole being as tears welled up into her eyes. She clambered over to Asami and brought her into her arms. Blood covered both. Korra tried in vain to stop its flow with her hands. Korra rubbed Asami's cheek as she struggled to form words. "I'm sorry." Asami's words were barely a whisper, all she could manage. Much of the color had already drained from her lips; eyes faded, lacking that brilliant emerald green with which Korra had fallen so deeply. "Shhh, don't talk, look at me, stay with me," Korra comforted. "I couldn't stop," Asami continued, tears in her own eyes. Korra could feel the warmth slowly leaving Asami. Panic. Korra looked over at Kya and Avan, still in shock. "Please can't you do anything?" Kya shook her head, "Korra, I'm sorry, it's...it's too much." Korra knew this; the blade had penetrated through her chest, lung and back. She kissed Asami's forehead, tears forging clean paths through the dark red streaks. Her own spirit shattering, "Asami, I love you, don't leave me..."

Avan took a deep breath and knelt down next to the grief stricken couple. Korra barely paid him any attention. He closed his eyes and started moving his hands above Asami's wound. "Hold her still, this will hurt," he quietly commanded. Kya saw his motions seemed similar to that of normal healing, but lacking any water. Asami's face contorted with pain, her skin almost rippling with the command of the motions, but she remained quiet. Korra struggled against her still surprising strength, even in her condition, struggling to free herself the discomfort. It was not long before her breathing became more regular, the pain was lessening, her face became more relaxed. At the same time, they could see Avan's growing discomfort. As some of the color returned to Asami's face and lips, Avan's body had grown pale and his face appeared gaunt. Kya and Korra stared in silence at what was happening. Lin and Jinora arrived at the door. Before they could speak, Kya motioned them to be still, which they heeded. Sweat dripped from Avan's forehead and he was becoming visibly fatigued; they could see him struggling, shaking. They just watched as the bleeding slowed, stopped; wounds slowly healed over. After some time, the only evidence remaining was the old blood, already dark and thick, and light scars on Asami's chest and back. She reached up to Korra's face, she was weak and cold, but alive, safe. Korra gripped her tightly, crying uncontrollably with all the emotion that had run through her body this evening. Avan fell back and curled up on the floor, wrought with pain. The women all looked at one another in disbelief of what they had just witnessed. Kya was the one to say it, "Blood-bending."

* * *

AN: So I was really conflicted about using Asami for all this. I tried putting this together with a couple other characters, but, in the end, Asami was really the only one that made any sense to me. I also debated about splitting this whole thing into two chapters, but decided to just plunk it all down at once in the end.

To anyone who may be tracking my story, life has become busy for me, so the time between new chapters may increase or be a bit erratic for a while.


	5. Haunted

\- 6 Haunted

Mako arrived with backup after the invaders had already departed. Lin ordered the officers to scour the island for anyone left behind or evidence that could be used to identify them. They would remain stationed on the island as extra security, though she firmly believed that they would not use this vector of attack again, no, it would be something else. Despite the large numbers of unconscious and injured that Lin and the air-benders left, no one had been left behind. The only clues they could manage were a large number of the chi-blocking darts they had employed and torn scraps of the cloaks which they wore that night. Lin was both maddened by the lack of clues left and impressed at the extreme precision the group employed.

As the sun rose over the horizon, everyone was still up caring for injuries, discussing the attack, patrolling the island, looking in every nook and cranny for anything hidden, whether clues or something more nefarious. Though several had fallen victim to chi-blocking, injuries were sparse and minor, considering. Rumors of Avan's bending spread rapidly. When others had run to check on Korra and Asami, they too overheard the discussion; this was not a rumor so easily contained. Fact quickly mixed with fiction. An extraordinary act of healing grew to incorporate lavish stories of fighting off bands of the attackers, setting them upon one another. Reactions were as varied as one could expect. Those that were closest to Avan believed that he was different, they saw the good, while others immediately feared him and what he represented.

Tenzin and Lin sat in the study. "What do we do about Avan? You know the laws concerning blood-bending. How can we make any allowances, regardless of what good he may have done?" Lin stated. "It can't be that simple Lin, we both know the power and danger inherent in blood-bending. I believe he must know this as well. How else can we explain the fact that months have gone by, and under close supervision, this is the first hint we receive? How can we ignore the good he has done?" Lin took a deep breath, "Tenzin, please understand that I believe him to be good at heart, but when word gets out of this." "I have already addressed the residents here, and I doubt Korra and Asami have plans to hold a press conference on the subject," Tenzin interrupted. "I they all hold you in high esteem Tenzin, but something like this will get out, through action, accident or rumor doesn't matter, and when it does, I will be forced to take action as chief of police, no matter my personal feelings. The thoughts of Amon and Tarrlok are not long past and when people hear blood-bending, they will think of nothing else." "I want to protect him," Tenzin stated. "Then we are in agreement," Lin added, "the question is what do we do?"

* * *

The couple laid back, alone in the warmth of the bath that Kya had drawn. Asami was nestled in Korra's arms where she was carefully washing off the caked evidence of the earlier tragedy. The sheen of her love's dark hair was matte with debris. Though still pale, the warmth of the bath lifted the chill that had been troubling Asami. "I'm so sorry Korra, I wasn't strong enough. It was like I was trapped in my own body. I saw through my eyes, but my body wouldn't listen. I...I tried to kill you..." she trailed off. "You did not try to do anything to me. If anything it was probably you that prevented...well you from doing anything serious." She held Korra's hand and traced the wound, nearly healed; turned and rubbed her hand across her stomach where she had been slashed. "Just scratches Sami, I've had much worse," Korra grabbed her hand, "Please, you cannot blame yourself for any of this." Korra wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her deeply. "Sami, I almost lost you. Spirits, I can't fathom what I would do without you." Their eyes were dark and puffy. Asami was visibly worn, lacking her usual always prepared appearance. They both just needed to hold one another, to cry and allow the emotions of the last twenty-four hours to work themselves out. The threat of loss clarified so many feelings for each of them and they grew closer by years that night.

They were now in a room near the healing area. Although very sore, Asami was in amazing condition, considering where she started. The final steps of recovery would be left to her own constitution. As the morning broke, they were visited by almost everyone on the island at one point or another, most out of concern for their well-being, some more from curiosity of the events of the night. They had decided early on not to discuss it with anyone that did not have business knowing the details. Though they wished to speak with him, Avan was one person who was notably absent from the list of visitors.

"Are you sure you're okay to be up and around?" Korra asked gently. Asami stretched her arms and legs out in front of her then patted the area where she was mortally wounded barely twelve hours ago, "Korra, I can't stay couped up in this room, I'll go stir crazy, and do you expect Pema to serve us here?" Asami thought that knowing her she would have been more than happy to. "I'll recover faster if I am up and around, though I am still a bit sore." Korra knew she lied a bit about this, when she was on her feet, the twangs of pain that shot through her muscles showed on her face. She stood up and raised her hand to her head, wavering just a bit. Korra grabbed her to steady her, perhaps unnecessarily. "I guess I still get a bit light-headed if I stand too fast. I probably still need to recover from the blood loss." As images of Asami covered in blood and in her arms shot through her mind, she shuttered. It was Asami who offered a hand to Korra, "Korra, I am here now, I am okay." Korra looked up and smiled, "We need to get some food in you." Neither of them had eaten since dinner the night before. Asami agreed. On the way out of the room, she couldn't help herself, "You know Korra, not everything about that night was out of my control." She gave such a devious look to Korra, who fully blushed. "Sami, I'm not sure I can laugh about that yet." Asami gave her a light punch on the shoulder, "Well, I can't have you suspecting me anytime I may decide to put the moves on you in the future." They traded smiles at that and headed out.

Everyone was surprised to see Korra and Asami entering the dining hall for lunch. "Asami, you are looking wonderful," Tenzin offered. "How are you feeling kid?" said Lin. Meelo jumped up to give his girl a big hug, resulting in a bit of a wince, but Asami held in the discomfort. She was still a shade pale, the perfect makeup was missing, her dark hair was simply pulled back into a pony tail, not the usual professional look she always kept. The food smelled amazing this day, as she took in small bites of this and that, she began to realize how hungry she truly was. Even Korra was taken aback, "Wow Sami, slow down, I don't think even I can keep up with your pace!" Asami turned and laughed, mouth still stuffed.

They had asked Tenzin about Avan. "He went straight to his room and is still there as far as I know. Lin and I checked on him a few times, I'm not sure of anyone else." said Tenzin. "Pema tried to see him and left some food, but he asked her not to come inside." "We need to go see Avan, I owe him my life you know. I know you heard it at lunch too, he is on people's lips. No one has mentioned him to us, so I suspect this has been difficult for him," said Asami. "He is going to have to bear this burden for the rest of his life, I don't know what will happen. Now that people know he is a blood-bender, things will be more difficult for him."

They stood at his door and listened for a moment. The food Pema had brought was still sitting on a small table outside, untouched. "Avan, are you there?" Korra asked. Silence. "Avan?" Asami added. She could here slight movements from inside. Asami again asked, "Avan? It is just Korra and I, we are going to come inside, is that okay?" Asami reached for the door and slowly slid it open a crack, eventually they stood with the door wide open. They looked about the room, but could not see anyone at first. The room was still as sparsely adorned as when Avan had first come to the island. They only spotted a few personal items, laid out on a table, a few small books, a hairpin and a green sash, neatly folded. They again heard a small movement from the corner. They entered and finally saw Avan had been curled up in a ball behind his bed, out of sight.

"Avan, are you all right?" Asami asked. Korra reached for him and pulled her hand back upon touching his forehead. "He is burning up!" Korra lifted him onto the bed. Asami wetted a towel from the basin in the room and put it on his forehead. "Let me get Kya," Asami said as she left the room. Korra bent water to Avan's head to apply some healing, as she began to concentrate, she felt a strange resistance. The more the tried to push the healing onto him, the harder it pushed back until she had to stop to rest and collect herself. "Avan, what is happening?" He looked up at Korra, but his eyes were distant.

Asami returned with Kya. The healer paused at the doorway. "Kya he needs help, I couldn't heal him, he was resisting it somehow." Kya stepped in and stood next to the young man. Korra could sense the hesitation in Kya's actions, "Kya please." She bent the purified water she had brought in her pouch and brought it first to his forehead, feeling the same resistance that Korra did. She moved over his body, stopping at his chest. "This is not right," the older woman spoke, "his energy is terribly twisted." Kya worked for the better part of an hour as Korra and Asami looked on. When she finished she turned to the couple, "I don't think there is much more I can do." He was still visibly troubled, but they could see that some amount of relief had been granted through Kya's work. The woman left the room with only a short glance over her shoulder to Avan. Korra and Asami looked at one another, downcast.

They stayed with Avan through the evening, trying to keep him comfortable. Mako stopped by as dusk approached, "Lin told me you guys were here and what happened last night. I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier, she has had me swamped with scouring this place and setting up patrols. How are you feeling?" The girls looked at one another and Avan, "Just how much did Lin tell you?" "Not a lot of details I guess, enough to take care of the getting situated here. Why?" Mako asked. They looked at Avan again. Mako was not stupid, "What happened to him? What happened last night?" Mako was their close friend, rumors were already spreading, they owed him the real story. Asami started to answer, "We don't know who exactly attacked last night, but they were going after Korra. They tried to use me to...to get to her." The thought of being employed as a tool to kill her lover was still such a raw idea; it hurt her heart to think of it. Korra took over with a more matter of fact tone, "They had brain-washed or controlled Asami to attack me. Their plan failed, but...they had planned for her to eliminate...the evidence of the scheme as well." Mako interruped, "Wait you mean..." Asami spoke again, "I couldn't control myself, I could see, hear, feel, but my actions were not mine. I almost died last night." She paused again. "Avan saved me, saved my life, but it left him in this state. We aren't sure what is happening to him." Mako was confused, "You say you almost died and Avan saved you? How?" Korra looked at Mako squarely, "He is a blood-bender." The girls looked at Mako, trying to evaluate his reaction to the information.

Mako finally reacted, "You mean like a real, bona-fide blood-bender, like Amon, I am a blood-bender?" The girls nodded, "Yes, but cut the Amon part, that is not who he is." "But I don't understand, you said he saved your life, and why is he out now?" A weak voice startled the three of them, "Please understand, I didn't mean to hide this from all of you." They moved to the side of his bed where he still lay with eyes closed. "You see what happens if people learn you have this ability. I never wanted it, I am just blessed or cursed with it; however you want to look at it." Korra spoke up, "Are you okay? How are you feeling?" "Horrible," Avan replied, "but I knew it would be this way." Mako formed his question, "How did you save Asami?"

"It is something I learned the first time I realized I had this skill. There are two aspects to blood-bending; I think of them as hot and cold. You and everyone else here are familiar with the cold side of blood-bending. This is the reason people fear blood-bending; why the few known blood-benders are all locked up, why Lin and yourself are going to have to decide my fate, why Kya no longer wants to see me." A tear just began to pool in his eye as he spoke the words. He had been closest with Kya almost since the moment he came to Air Temple Island and Korra and Asami both had just witnessed the coolness which she carried when she had come to see him and only at the behest of Asami. "Cold blood-bending at its best treats a person's blood as water to water-bending, you could literally throw a person from a cliff or stop them dead in their tracks. At its worse, the blood-bending allows the user to push their will upon the other being, taking away their control. They become nothing but a puppet. It truly feels cold as it's main purpose is to block the victim's own energy and impress your own in its place. It is truly a wicked thing, you can make another do almost anything if you are powerful enough." Mako interrupted with a menacing tone, "Wait, did you have anything to do with..." Asami shot a look to Mako that stopped him in the middle of his statement, "No, he did not, that was something else. Avan would never do that." He opened his eyes at the words, "You see, that is the fear that this ability instills. There is always that doubt, 'He would never do that.' How could I or anyone ever convince the world that was true? How could I prove that there were no situation ever possible where I would resort to using my ability in that manner? It would be a lie." They looked at one another and tried to absorb the information that Avan had laid upon them. Korra pushed on, "You mentioned a hot aspect of blood-bending, what is that?"

"Asami, this is the bending I used on you last night. I'll admit to you all now that I have been using it since I arrived here, it is the reason I appear to be such a powerful healer. I'm sure Kya had some suspicions, perhaps she didn't want to believe that this could be the source of my skill. Cold blood-bending impresses will upon another, the hot aspect of blood-bending does almost the exact opposite. At its very essence is to blend the energy of the two individuals, making it much more difficult and potentially costly. Normal water healing tries to manipulate the energy of one person, but for this technique, you are using your own energy to affect the energy of the other." Avan turned to Korra, "You probably know as well as anyone that at our very essence we are all the same, people, animals, plants, spirits. There is an energy that flows through all of us and it can interact in many ways." Avan cringed a bit as he sat up. "This technique leaves the bender vulnerable as they must allow the other's energy to flow in and out. You have to submit yourself to the pain of the other in order to restore balance in them. This is why I believe it is the true extension of healing; to truly sacrifice part of yourself to heal another." Avan took a deep breath, "But it is not without its consequences. I may not take on the physical damage, but the flow of emotions, feeling, and the experience of the pain, that is the price that is paid for this ability. During the exchange, you can walk on the knife's edge if the damage is severe enough. If you lose yourself in the process..." Korra looked to Asami who had lost a shade of color at Avan's description. "Why would you do this? What did I ever do, did anyone ever do, to deserve such a thing, to put you through this?" "It has nothing to do with deserving, it was something I chose to do to make up for...," Avan froze as the words teetered on the edge of his tongue. Korra placed a hand on his shoulder, "Someday you may want to complete that story and we will be there for you when it comes." "I'm happy that you are well Asami." Korra gently coaxed Asami and Mako to the doorway, "Go tell Tenzin and Lin that he is up, they will probably want to speak with him. They should be in the dining hall by now." The day had already whittled away.

Korra sat next to Avan, "How bad was it?" "I've never felt this kind of pain before; even now, I don't know how I was able to pull myself back out. Korra, it still hurts." He clutched his chest and tears finally broke from Avan's eyes. Korra held Avan like a mother a child, "Thank you so much, you can't know what this means to me." She had to wipe her own tears away. Avan gathered himself with a deep breath. Korra thought a moment, "Always remember, just like I am not the Avatar, I am me, I am Korra; you are not a blood-bender, you are Avan and you are who you have made yourself to be. Don't let anyone destroy what you have worked to become." As Korra stood up, Tenzin and Lin appeared at the door, followed by Mako and Asami. "Korra, could we have a word with Avan?" Korra gave a look of encouragement to Avan as she left with Asami and Mako.

Tenzin and Lin sat to speak with Avan. They asked about how long he had this ability and why he never told anyone, receiving the answers that they expected. He gave them much the same explanations as what he had just done for Korra and the other, though with less embellishment. Tenzin saw the good in what he had been doing and had a desire to defend him. Lin was torn between duty and her own feelings on the matter. By law in Republic City, she had to place Avan under arrest and isolation, and he didn't make that any easier for her. He addressed Lin, "I know you have your job to do, I don't blame you for it. If you need me to come with you, I will peaceably." Lin turned around and practically spat at the situation, "If only I could have a battalion of officers with your conviction. Everything about this is wrong, you haven't done anything malicious, but once the media or the president gets word of your bending, they are going to be out to hang you. We understand, but the public will not be able to look past the label of blood-bender." Lin was frustrated. Tenzin responded, "Avan, for now, you will stay here at the Air Temple. If the time comes that Lin or her officers are ordered to arrest you, we will deal with it then, but in the mean time, we should get ahead of this and speak with President Raiko." Lin added, "Listen, whatever happens, remember you have friends here that support you. Don't go and breakdown into a bending rage in the mean time, okay?" She gave Avan a smack on the head and a smile. Before they left, Avan inquired about the attack. Lin admitted that at the moment they had little to go on, but she hoped that Asami would recall something they could use, then they left to go speak with her.

Avan was left alone again. He was still feeling sore, but his spirit had been re-energized by all the words of encouragement. He knew this was only the beginning. He wished that Kya would come to see him so he could talk to her about what happened. He felt that he had betrayed her in some way by not telling her, but he thought it best to for her to come around. After eating a little of what Pema had brought, he laid back down on his bed and tried to sleep. The day had stirred up old memories that haunted his dreams.


	6. A Low Place

_AN: Quite a bit of jumping between perspectives in this chapter, hopefully it works._

* * *

Avan tried to carry on normally. The next morning he entered the dining hall and sat in his usual spot. The hush that fell throughout the room was painfully obvious to him. Tenzin tried to assure him that things would get better in time as the novelty wore off and things returned to normal. Avan was not so sure. Tenzin's family was by far the least affected, whether because he directed them or because of their own will, Avan didn't know. The exception to that being Kya, which hurt more than anything else he heard.

They had become close working in the healing rooms. She had taught him so much over the past months and spoke on all sorts of day to day matters and deeper questions of life. He had grown to think of her as his mom. Now she rarely spoke with him and avoided eye contact. They still worked together, though a trickle of folks now expressed their preference for Kya alone to care for them; however, it was different now. The friendly banter was replaced by long periods of silence and most talk was strictly business related. After the first few days, he had asked Kya if she preferred for him to stay away, to which she replied that she still wished him to work there, but it felt like he was losing his family all over again.

* * *

Korra confronted Kya noticing that her attitude toward Avan still remained. "Why do you shut him out like that? He didn't do anything wrong." "Korra, you know how hard my own mother worked to outlaw blood-bending. She of all people knows the dangers in those abilities! Do you claim to know better than she about what is good for society? So what if he is using it to protect us or heal us, it does not change the fact that blood-bending is an abomination!" Kya argued. "If he were to turn against someone, perhaps by accident, is it worth whatever good he may do in the meantime? What if he were to teach others to hone this skill? Will he ensure they are all working only towards the same goal?" Korra countered, "Are you punishing him for healing people, healing Asami, trying to protect all of us from this truth? I understand what Master Katara did to outlaw blood-bending, but consider those that drove her to push for such laws! You think I don't know what he could be? Do you think I have forgotten what Amon and Tarrlok did to me, to all of us? He looked up to you as a teacher, a friend, as a parent." Kya was breaking, "Why didn't he say anything to me...? Why couldn't he trust me...?" Korra walked to face Kya and saw that she was trembling, crying. Korra gave her a hug. "Korra, I want to trust, but my own mother..." "Kya, I can't help you make that decision, but you can sense Avan's nature, I know it. You have to ask yourself, are you truly worried that he has the potential to be an Amon, to be a Yakone?" Korra started towards the door to Kya's room, "Kya, if you feel that you should say anything to him, don't wait too long. You being distant like this is hurting him as much as yourself." Kya spoke a quiet, "Thank you Korra," as she left. Kya was still unsure of what she would do.

* * *

The constant feeling of suspicion slowly wore at Avan's nerves. It felt as though eyes were always on him, waiting for him to do something. He wished that they could just believe that he was not hiding some wicked plan to take over the island. He needed to get away from the island, at least for a little, to get some relief from this hidden pressure. In the middle of the night, he slipped, unseen, across the bay to the mainland using a bended pad of ice. There he ventured into the still deserted area of the city and deep into the spirit wilds. The spirits there paid him little mind. He bent a small shelter and slept.

He awoke in his old room in the earth kingdom. "Where am I, how am I here?" His sister was huddled in the corner of the room, shaking. "What is happening?" he thought. Screams from the rest of the house, the sounds of crashing dishes, furniture. His eyes grew wide, "Why am I reliving this now?" It had been a couple years since the last time he had been haunted by these memories. As silence came, shivers broke across his body. He went to his sister, they went through the door, he could not fight the call to follow the events of that night. He again relived sight of his father's hands on his mom. He was as terrified now as when it first happened those years ago. "Why can't I do anything?" He wanted to use his bending to heal his mother, stop his father. He could do nothing. His father turned to stare at him, everything went black.

* * *

Avan was missing at first meal the next morning. Kya looked over at the empty setting as feelings of guilt crept through her mind. "Have any of you seen Avan this morning?" she asked the table. No one had. It had been the first time since the attack that Kya had mentioned him; it did not go unnoticed. "Have you been to his room, perhaps he is sleeping in?" suggested Tenzin. She began to realize just how much she had been avoiding him the past week. She went to his room after finishing breakfast. The door seemed foreboding, as if it wanted to resist her hand. "Why am I being such a child?" she thought. "Avan, are you there?" She waited, but received no answer. She opened the door and entered; everything was made up and in order and there were no signs of him having been there the night before. She turned to leave and his table caught her attention. He had very few things of his own, but she noticed the sash and hairpin that he had kept were missing. "He wouldn't have just left with no word would he?" The thought grew in her mind.

* * *

He awoke in his old room in the earth kingdom. "Why am I here again?" His sister was just as before, quivering in the corner of his room. "Why am I seeing this again? Why don't I wake up?" Screams from the rest of the house, the sounds of crashing dishes, furniture. Again, he could not resist following the events of the night once again, following his sister into the other room. A flash of light blinded him for but a moment. His sister lay on the floor, a trickle of blood is flowing down from the top of her head, she stares at him with blank eyes. Fear, guilt, despair...anger are well up from deep within. His mother suddenly springs up to stand in front of him. "Why didn't you protect your sister?" she scolds. He can see the marks on her neck so clearly. Startled, he jumps backwards, by the time he turns to face her, she has already returned to where she had lain, lifeless. His sister mouths for help, but no sound escapes her lips. He tries in vain to bend, but nothing. His father turns gaze at him, everything goes black once again.

* * *

Kya found Korra by Asami's side in the early afternoon. "Kya, come in," Asami said, noticing her at their doorway. "How are you Asami? Getting back to normal I hope?" she asked politely. "I am not one-hundred percent certainly, but given what happened, I feel great." Kya nodded, something obviously on her mind. Korra spoke up, "Kya, did you need something? You look like something is bothering you." "Well, yes, it's about what we talked about yesterday." Korra exchanged a look with Asami, who knew it was between them; however, as she started to stand, Kya put her hand on her leg, "Asami, please you don't need to go. It's just, I think Avan may have left." She explained how no one had seen him since the night before and that he appeared to have taken what little he had with him. "You know what he had been dealing with since that night from everyone here, from me as well. If he did in fact run away, even if that is what he wants or needs to do, I can't let him leave thinking that we...that I don't care for him," Kya struggled to speak her thoughts, on the edge of crying. "I don't think he is on the island, I have looked everywhere, but I doubt he could have gone far. Korra, can you use your power to see if he is in the city?" Korra hopped up, "Of course, we will need to head to the mainland though, I can't see it from across the bay." Korra offered her hand to Asami, "That's okay, you two go. I will just rest up here. Besides, you don't need some silly non-bender slowing you both down." Korra smiled at her and gave her a light kiss. "I'll always slow down for you Sami." The comment forced a small chuckle from the older woman and a blush from Asami.

It was just a short time later that they arrived on the mainland. They headed in the direction of the Spirit Wilds, stopping at the first spirit vine they came across. Korra placed her hand on the vine and closed her eyes. Kya could see the concentration on her face as a part of her spirit almost dove into the vine, feeling out where it stretched. t only took a few minutes before she returned to Kya, "He is in the spirit wilds. I'm pretty sure he is asleep, but his spirit is definitely out some dark vibes. Do you want to go to him?" "Yes, I need to see him, even if he doesn't want to return."

* * *

He awoke in his old room in the earth kingdom. He quickly acclimated to where he was and what has happening this time. "How many times now had this nightmare played out?" he wondered. He did not wait this time, opening the door to his room immediately to confront the scene on the other side. The blinding white light again. He had been able to keep more of his sense about him, having gone through these cycles many times already this night, but this time around was different. As he regained his sight, he saw his mother already lying on the floor, his sister by the table, motionless. Only his father stood, muttering to himself, looking over the carnage that he had brought home. In a blink, they were all standing close around him. "Why did you do this?" they all spoke in unison. "Why did you do this?" He could feel icy hands slowly gripping around his throat. "Why did you do this?" He yelled, "It was dad, what could I do?" "Why did you do this?" The hands tightened their grip, he could feel his consciousness waning. He saw that final moment, when his father took his own life, but as he did, a coldness spread throughout his own body. He looked down and the blade was in his own chest. It felt so heavy, cold. It felt like his spirit was pouring forth from the wound it left. His vision began to collapse down, he was losing himself in this nightmare. Suddenly, warm arms held him, they were pulling him up. He didn't understand what was happening, the shadows of his past began to melt around him as his vision was filled with a blinding light. Something familiar. Quiet voices were whispering to him, "Avan." His mother and sister were there, alive, healthy. "You must let go of the past," said his sister as she dissolved away. His mother's words, "There can be no forgiveness here; you must accept this." "Please don't go," he uttered. She heard these words as she hugged him. As the light slowly faded, Kya's face replaced that of his mother. Kya held Avan tightly. "Avan, I'm so sorry." He opened his eyes and, realizing what was happening, hugged Kya back tightly. Tears wet each others shoulders.

"You looked as if you were having a nightmare," Kya finally said, still cradling him. Avan nodded, "I was reliving the night I lost my family. I can't remember how many times I had to live those memories tonight. I haven't had these dreams for years." He sat up and faced Kya and Korra and scanned around, "What time is it?" They both shrugged, time was never something either of them paid much attention to, "evening, maybe seven o'clock or so?" "How did I sleep so long? It's been almost a full day since I came here?" The thought scared him a bit, "Was I trapped in that nightmare?" Kya and Korra looked at one another, a bit confused about what he was talking about. "I don't understand," said Kya, "Do you mean you have been here asleep since last night?" Avan went on describe why and when he had left the night before. Kya was compelled now to bear her mind, "Avan, please forgive me for how I acted. I was wrong; I just...I just had difficulty looking past your bending to see the person you were, you had become. I hope you can..." Avan hugged her, "I should be the one saying sorry; I hid this from you all this time. I also shut myself in afterwards, thinking it would all somehow just go away. I know that I need to just face it."

Bending some small seats, they sat together for some time. He told them both about the cycles of dreams that he felt he was trapped within until moments ago. Korra mentioned that his spirit had appeared dark to her, "It must have been these memories that was causing this cloud over you." He thought on that comment, "My sister and mother told me in my dream that there was no forgiveness in the past, and I can't run from it; I have to just accept the past and try to move on. It is part of me." "I need to tell both of you something and I'm afraid that you may hate me for it, but I think that you need to know...that I need you to know to move on."

Avan put on an air of seriousness, "You both know my story about the night I lost my family." She shifted around, stared at his feet, unsure of how to start. "It has to do with the reason I worked so hard at healing these past years... The night I lost my mother and my sister, I lost control." He looked visibly uncomfortable staring at the two women. After a few moments of silence, Korra spoke, "Of course you would, anyone would if that happened. I think if you hadn't jumped in to save Asami as quickly as you did, I probably would have gone into the Avatar state and who knows what I would have done, filled with grief and rage." Avan took over, "Rage is what it was. I used blood-bending that night they died." He looked at Kya with a cold stare, "My father did not kill himself that night, I did. I forced his hand. He would have come after me, but I was the one who took his life." Korra and Kya sat still and in silence as this sunk in. "I could feel his body resisting it, I could feel my will, blinded by rage, pushing into his mind, driving his own hand. I could see the fear in his eyes as it was happening, but after what he had done, I...I wanted it, I enjoyed seeing him in pain. It was after I finished that what I had just done sunk in, I was broken. My sister, barely alive, saw all of this unfold. She told me that I had to do it, not to blame myself for it, but she didn't know the feeling that had rushed through me. If I hadn't wasted myself on him, perhaps I could have saved my sister, but I was weak then. It had taken almost everything out of me acting on my father, so I could do nothing for her but watch as she faded away. I lied when the authorities came, that my father had committed suicide. There was nothing to connect anything to me, and I have lived with this secret all this time, trying to make up for it in vain by healing others. I am such a fool..." Avan buried his head into his knees.

It took time for them to gather words to speak. Kya was the first to speak, "You're right, there is no forgiveness that we or anyone else can offer you. This is a burden that you must carry alone and for the rest of your life. You could have chosen to let it eat away at you, but you must see that instead it changed your very nature. From that low place, you grew to become the young man you are now. You have helped so many people in the time since this occurred. What options did you have then, truly. Had you allowed your father to turn on you, you would be nothing now and all of the people you saved since would be nothing as well. Asami would be nothing. This power you have that none of us can ever hope for, it stemmed from the burden you will bear. No one would fault you for what you did." Korra spoke up, "Any of us in the same situation would have acted in the same way. Whether it be fire, water, earth, air, energy, or blood-bending, if it came down to that moment, any of us would use our power to the fullest to protect ourselves. How could we not?" He could not receive forgiveness where there was none to give. Avan breathed a heavy sigh, "What do I do now? Where does that leave us?" Kya answered, "We cannot make that decision for you. You must choose whether to work to continue what you started or to give up and try to run from yourself. I want you to know that you are always welcome with us, with me. You have a family on that island and we will support you through thick and thin." He jumped up to hug Kya, "Thank you so much, I will work to make you proud." "I already am proud of what you have done and you have so much potential still." Korra smiled at the scene, and Kya exchanged a look of thanks with the Avatar before they headed out of the spirit wilds.

* * *

_In a dark office..._

"Your plan against the Avatar failed. What are we going to do now?"

"I wouldn't call it a failure."

"What do you mean, she is still alive!"

"Fool! You are the one who pushed it so far. My intention was never to try and kill the Avatar! Inflicting pain through those around her is much more effective than going after her directly. She will destroy herself to protect them. I will make her feel the pain, the hopelessness of having those you love targeted. She should have..."

"But she needs to..."

"Our group has been tested against highly proficient benders, suffering minimal causalities. Our chi-blocking weapons were successful in every respect and we know now that our manipulation techniques are highly effective even in hostile subjects."

"How can you deem the treatment effective? She failed to execute her instructions."

"You should be thankful for that if you value your own life...but consider how close she came; someone who not only was close to the Avatar, but is in love with her. Ms. Sato is not a weak willed individual, but even with her mental and emotional conflict, she still went that far with your orders."


	7. A Night Out

After discussing all the facts, they determined that their only real leads were the chi-blocking weapons left behind by the attackers and the submarine they used to make their attack and getaway. The weapons were simple and could probably be manufactured anywhere. The submarine was not something that just anyone could get a hold of. This was really their one solid clue to go on. Through corporate and military contacts, they felt that the most sure-fire way to proceed is to focus on the origin of the sub. It was not as if something like that could be manufactured or go missing without someone noticing. There were only a couple of corporations even capable of manufacturing them and that would be where they would start. Asami arranged meetings with the CEO of the Prime Earth Movers, Mr. Dursh, and Slagwerker International, Mr. Hazar. Future Industries not only had long standing business relationships with the corporations, but she also personally knew the heads of the organizations.

"Korra, you don't have to come, I know how you really don't like these kinds of things. There are going to be meetings with business executives and managers, military and political folks. We are going to have to sort through probably tons of paperwork to research what was coming and going, cross checking this and that with more records. It is going to tedious and even I am the first to admit, it is going to be boring." Asami was excited about the prospect of trying to get a handle on just what had happened, but she knew very well finding a paper trail was not going to be easy. Even if it came from her own company, it would likely take a couple days of work to determine if there were truly something suspicious amiss.

"Sami, I know all of this, but you and I both know that whoever attacked us here isn't going to just go away. There is no way I am going to let you just travel through the nations without me there by your side. Besides, I would miss you too much," Korra had determined look on her face, though Asami detected a hidden layer of concern as well. Whether it was related to the attack of the thought of spending time buried in paperwork, even she couldn't tell.

Korra sat in her usual spot in Asami's room. She had discovered a worn out, overstuffed recliner in storage while wandering around the mansion some time back. It had turned out to have been Hiroshi's preferred reading chair from when he was much younger. Asami didn't remember it at all, so did not have reservations about it being brought out. Its leather was worn, but still intact and Korra fell in love with the fact it was just so soft. She sank down into the large cushion, feet hanging lazily over one side, head perched up on the other. This was her preferred spot for when she was waiting for Asami to finish up, whether it be paperwork, reading, dressing, bathing, or, as today, packing.

"You always pack too much stuff Sami," Korra said, glancing toward her usual duffel bag, barely twice the size of Asami's makeup. "Well, I can't always just throw on whatever is most comfortable for many of the places I need to go for my work everyday. I also have to pack for a certain someone else who doesn't really prepare well either. And, if you are so bored, I can give you some packing to do." Korra threw up her hands in surrender.

Korra heard a knock at the front door and darted up, seeing an opportunity for something else to do. She was greeted by Kya and Avan, bags in hand. "You guys, am I glad to see you!" Korra said as she pulled them inside. They placed their belongings by the door. "Asami is still packing stuff for this trip."

Avan responded, "Well remember, for her this is a business trip. She has to be seen as the Future Industries CEO. We have it easy and are basically just tagging along. Shouldn't you be taking more stuff yourself if you are going to be by Asami's side?" He pointed out the small duffle bag sitting by the door containing Korra's belongings.

"What do you mean?" Korra replied.

"If she has any social functions or dinner meetings, you are going to have to accompany her won't you?" Korra turned bashful, "Yeah, well, Sami usually takes care of that stuff for me."

Kya chimed in, "Are you guys sure it is okay for Avan and I to tag along? I mean, I can't blame you if you want to just get away from all of us for a little vacation of your own." Korra put up her hands in acceptance, "No no, please don't think that you are not welcome. It's not like we are all going to be staying in a tiny room together the whole trip or something. Besides, if we run into whoever is responsible, it will be good to have extra benders around."

"Well, as long as you are sure. I used to travel so much and after all these recent events, I realized it has been quite a long time since I just got away, that is without it being associated with other people trying to kill or capture us."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," added Korra. "Plus, after speaking with Tenzin and Lin, it seems like getting away from Republic City for a while will be good for Avan too."

Avan looked them over, "They think if I get away from the people and press here for a while, that the controversy over my, ummm, well, blood-bending will settle down. I'm not so sure it will work out like that, but I'd like to see more of the other nations. I have really only seen a small part of Ba Sing Se and small areas of Republic City."

A small time later, Asami stood at the top of the staircase, "Kya, Avan, welcome to my place." Avan was busy looking around. It was by far the nicest house he had been inside. "Well, we're all here now, I guess we should get started." The bags were gathered and loaded into a waiting Sato-van. The ride to the waiting Future Industries airship was fairly quiet, there was much reflection on so much that had occurred to bring them to being together at this moment. Their belongings were loaded onto the airship. "The ship and crew are pretty much at our disposal, so make yourselves at home. There are plenty of rooms, so just take your pick. We should be in the Fire Nation by the evening." The group started to separate, but Asami stopped Avan who was following Kya, "Avan can you come with me for a couple minutes?" Asami gave Korra a glance to indicate that everything was fine.

They walked to an observation area where they could watch Republic City slowly fall away as they lifted off. "I've been so busy with work; I can't remember when I was last able to get away from all the daily grind. Even now, it is only a short getaway and it is still not really a getaway. It seems like we are always on a mission of some kind; I guess that is just the life we sometimes fall into. I'm trying to pull Republic City into a new era of technology and Korra is the Avatar. We will probably be busy with something for the rest of our lives." Asami let out a small chuckle, "Put us together and vacations are almost unheard of!"

Avan stared off to see Air Temple Island join the rest of the city dissolving into the distance, not really sure what to say. "Sorry, I was just rambling a bit there. Listen, the reason I wasnted to talk to you is that with everything that has happened, I realized I never had an opportunity to tell you, 'Thank you,' properly."

"Asami, you don't...," Avan tried to start.

She cut him off before he could finish what she had expected. "No, I do. What you did for me, for Korra and I. It was not as simple as just healing a cut or mending a bone, though I guess it included those too." She stood next to Avan, looking out to the horizon as well, "We saw what you sacrificed to bring me back when we visited your room, it was not nothing. The fear I felt seeing Korra in that moment when she held me...I was slipping away from her. What feelings of uncertainty we had about us were destroyed in that moment. You are the one who gave us that opportunity. Of course, someday one of us will pass away, but hopefully not like that." Asami took in a deep breath after recalling these emotionally charged memories, "Spirits, Avan, I can't express to you enough just what you did for me, for us. Thank you."

Avan turned to look at the beautiful, dark haired woman next to him. Tears had broken from her eyes. "I'm not really sure what to say. I mean, I think I would have done that for anyone. I couldn't just stand there and watch you fade away if I thought I had a chance at saving you." He paused a moment, reflecting, "I couldn't save my sister then. I want to help everyone that I can; it's the least I can do."

A bit puzzled by the comment, Asami turned and ruffled his hair. "That's quite a small thing you have taken onto your shoulders. I guess I am destined to surround myself with people who want to save everyone."

Avan responded, "I think you are the same. I can use bending to help people, but just one at a time. You are using your company to change the world for so many people. All the new technology you have developed is changing the way people live all over the world. It is helping to make it easier to feed, clothe and house hundreds, thousands at a time. People can travel around and communicate with one another. What you do will change the very hearts of people."

Asami shook her head and smiled, "Boy, you sure are a sweet talker aren't you! I don't know if my shareholders would like Future Industries sold in such a way. If there is anything Korra or I can do for you, I hope you know you can just ask."

"Thanks," Avan said. "Actually there is one thing that you could help with."

"Oh, what is that?" asked Asami.

"Well, when we finally figure out who is behind this attack, I doubt they are just going to put up their hands and give up. I am pretty good at bending." Asami gave a nod in agreement. "But we know they can neutralize our bending, and, well, I barely have a clue as to how to fight without my bending. I'm not even sure I can throw a good punch."

Asami laughed, punched a fist into her other hand and gave Avan a stern look, "Well then, we'll just have to fix that then won't we."

Avan had just finished his wandering around the airship and was just about to flop onto the bed in his chosen room when Korra appeared at the door, "I talked to Asami." She dropped a pile of gear onto a chair in the room. "Meet me on the observation deck as soon as your dressed!" she said as she walked away with a huge grin on her face. Avan suddenly thought, "Just what have I gotten myself into."

This level was large with windows almost encircling the whole room. When Avan stepped up, he saw Korra sitting near the center. All the furniture and other gear of the room had been stacked into a corner, leaving a wide open space to work in. Korra stood up, "Asami is busy preparing for her meetings this evening, so I hope you're okay if I stand in," she said in jest. "No bending."

"That includes you too right?" Avan added. Korra only replied with a devious smile.

"Let's start with the basics, your stance and movement." Korra and Avan spent perhaps an hour moving through motions to build upon for hand to hand combat. Avan concentrated trying to mimic Korra as best he could. "You know, you're actually doing quite well. I can tell that you have spent quite a lot of time with the Tenzin's air-benders. You've picked up their light step and you're already quite nimble on your feet, that is a great start. The first goal of any fight really is to try not to get hit yourself. The catch being, dodging a punch or kick flying at you from someone directly in front of you is quite different from a rock that you can usually see coming at you from a distance. You won't be able to use your bending to sense someone's attack like you could water, ice or stone." Korra took up a fighting stance opposite Avan, "Ready?"

Asami and Kya quietly stepped onto the observation deck, not bringing attention to themselves. They watched as Korra sparred with Avan. "He's doing quite well," commented Asami, "he has good movement. I guessed that based on the training he had been getting on the island. If air-bending ever doesn't work out, Tenzin should get them all into boxing." Asami noticed Kya cringe a bit as Korra landed a few hits on Avan. "Problem is you can't dodge everything. He will need to learn how to take a hit, and I suspect, how to dish it out too," continued Asami, "But he's already got a good base to work with." Asami stood up, "Hey you two, we should be arriving in the Fire Nation shortly. Why don't you get cleaned up?" They were both a bit startled, having not noticed the two spectators for who knows how long.

Avan thanked Korra for the lesson. She made sure that he knew there were more where that came from. He then headed down the stairs to get washed up. "What did you think?" asked Kya. "He's got a lot to learn before he can put Asami or I down to the floor," she spoke flexing her biceps at Asami as she blushed a bit, "but he is a fast learner and I guess you saw that a lot of the hardest stuff, moving and evading, he already knows pretty well." Still with a sheen of sweat over her body, Korra picked up Asami, laughing, "Come on, we need to get cleaned up for your Fire Nation meetings." Kya shook her head, "You two...to be young again."

They touched down in a large courtyard of Slagwerker International on the outskirts of Fire Fountain City. The complex was vast. Several large factory buildings lined the shoreline that ran along one side of the courtyard, another occupied by what looked to be warehouse type facilities for raw materials and finished products. In the distance, people were seen moving about moving materials to and fro, groups with scrolls of papers and clipboards, and actively welding and constructing various bits of machinery. Opposite these was a large building that looked somewhat out of place in the factory setting. It was much taller than all the buildings they had seen upon approaching the city. Now much closer, Avan could see it was constructed of a much higher caliber as well. While primarily stone, it was ornate with red and black onyx in the style of the Fire Nation with trim of gold along the roof and window lines. It was easy to see this must be the main headquarters of the corporation and their destination; Asami's at least.

A small group approached them from the ornate building. "Ms. Sato and Avatar Korra, welcome to Slagwerker International."

"Mr. Hazar, thank you for allowing us to see you on short notice."

"Ms. Sato, please call me Roel. We have had a long standing business relationship since your father's time and there is no need for such formality."

Asami and Roel exchanged pleasantries, introducing their respective parties. Korra, Kya and Avan were all happy and relieved to find out that despite his high rank and wealth, Roel was almost as down to earth as their own Asami. They walked the grounds for a while as Roel described the types of manufacturing they performed and products they produced.

"I wouldn't have thought you were the primary supplier for the Fire Nation Navy just from looking at this facility." Avan realized he spoke aloud and tried to catch himself, "What I mean is, I would have thought you would need much larger factories to supply a whole nation..." He stopped to try to prevent further embarrassment.

Roel had turned back to stare at Avan's comment, but slowly turned to a smile and laughter, "Ha ha ha, that is exactly what most people would think! Even Asami's father always thought we needed to scale up, be bigger, expand. No you see that is one of the keys of our business, efficiency. Where other companies may add more and more lines to produce larger quantities, we pride ourselves in reducing the waste in production. Worker training, feedback from everyone gets collected to figure out how to better perform the jobs that are needed, streamlined suppliers all the way to the end product! You may also notice just how little raw material you see sitting around. If it isn't in use, it's wasting money!" He went on to pridefully describe how in a matter of less than 10 years, he took over the top military supplier spot for the Fire Nation because of these very practices. "It also allows us to more quickly integrate modifications into our designs since we have much shorter production lines, and..." he stopped himself, "I'm sorry, I know you are not here to be bored with discussions of business practice." The group started toward the main building.

Asami spoke up, "Actually, only Korra and I are needed for this part; no need to put Kya and Avan through the paper hunt. They are trying to use this as a small vacation away from Republic City."

"Very well, can I bring a car around to take you into the city?"

"No, no," Kya responded, "we are perfectly fine on our own, it isn't far." As the group split up, Korra looked back at Kya and Avan for a moment, as part of her wished she was going with them.

* * *

They had seen the myriad of decorations and stands setup radiating out from the town center as they approached Fire Fountain City from the sky. There was a multi-day celebration of the 10th year of the reign of Fire Lord Izumi, and it was one of the reasons Kya had jumped at the chance to travel, the timing worked out perfectly. It was still mid-afternoon when they first arrived so most people were still working and festivities had not yet begun to spin up. Now that dusk was quickly coming over the city, Kya and Avan could see lanterns and fires just beginning to light up for the evening as they started making their way towards the famous Fire Fountain for which the city was named.

It was a lavish festival for the occasion. The vendors sold food, drink and desserts of all kinds. There were dumplings of every filling imaginable, grilled meats on sticks, perfectly portable provisions, crispy, fried snacks of vegetable or meat, who could tell and what did it matter. "Tonight is on me," Kya offered, "anything you want, just let me know." Both their eyes were wide with the possibilities. While Pema's food was wonderful, with water and earth nation backgrounds, they both had a hankering for meat and deep fried goodies once in a while...and it had been a while. Games of skill and chance littered the streets, spilling the sounds of cheers and disappointment everywhere through the town. Both Kya and Avan were of course taken in by the environment and discovered they both had equal luck with the games, that is, bad. "Well, we better stick to the healing work," Avan commented.

There were people from every nation gathered, obviously far beyond the normal population of the town. While the majority were fire nation, they also saw a fair share of earth and water nation people. Not surprisingly, air-benders were not really represented. They never felt out of place, partially a testament to new openness that was a mainstay throughout the Fire Nation. Late into the night, they watched many different performances, both elaborate shows on a main stage in the center of town and small children with tiny acts on street corners.

At one point, they even somehow found themselves entered into a super-hot, flaming fire flakes eating contest. After failing to go far in the competition, they both had to sit and heal their own stomachs to continue on. "Let's not talk about this to anyone else when we get back," mentioned Kya. "Uggghhhh," was all Avan could muster. The celebrations culminated with the unveiling of the new statue honoring Fire Lord Izumi in town center. Only topped when, after the unveiling, a grand Fire Nation airship approached the town center and a great fireball streamed down to light the statue, sent by Fire Lord Izumi herself! She spoke only a few words of thanks to honor both the town and the whole nation before departing, but the crowd erupted in a near deafening cheer for her that lasted more than twice as long as the speech itself, long after the airship had passed from view. The reverence they held for her was clear. The statue was positioned next to that of the previous, Fire Lord Zuko.

Some time ago, the town had decided to remove the statue to Lord Ozai and replace it with Lord Zuko after what the people agreed ended as a rather dishonorable reign. With all the changes for good brought forth by Lord Zuko, it was decided that his would remain for all time and all indications were Fire Lord Izumi would stand the test of time as well. With the many decades now of peace and growth in the Fire Nation, the people were full of hope and pride for their nation. The older generation could feel in their own lifetime the changes that had occurred. When they were young, it would be unheard of to walk the streets of Fire Fountain City late at night, but now streets would remain crowded until the wee hours of the night. This night was just what Kya and Avan needed to really move past the recent events in their minds, filled with fun and laughter. The concerns of what even brought them to the island had long melted away from their minds.

It was well into the wee hours of the morning before festivities began to wind down and Kya and Avan decided to head back to the Slagwerker compound. They were both exhausted, bellies full and just a bit tipsy due to a mutual dare to try a special festival drink, to which just a few drops of cactus juice were added. As they walked through the city streets, they were still laughing, recounting many of the people and acts they had witnessed.

Near the edge of the city, Avan's ear piqued up, catching the sounds of something concerning. He grabbed hold of Kya's sleeve and pulled her to a stop. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought I heard something...from the alley there I think." They both stood still a moment and tried to concentrate to filter out the distant sounds of the remaining festival. "Hel..." They both caught the interrupted plea and headed down the alley from which it came.

After about a block, they saw two men in the middle of tying up a young woman, her mouth was taped shut and her eyes were filled with fear. "Stop!" Kya yelled at them. They froze for a moment, surprised by the encounter. Kya and Avan had caught them off guard and were ready to strike. The two men were still. They quickly swapped glances with one another then sprung away from the woman and launched streams of fire towards Kya and Avan.

Avan brought up a wall of stone, protecting both of them from the oncoming blaze, then just as quickly pushed it back to the earth as the fires subsided. Kya immediately withdrew water from the pouch she always kept at her side and flung a whip of water against one of the attacker's arms, capturing it. She changed it to ice and proceeded to pin both his arms against a wall. Avan sent stone flying against the other attacker, who ducked as the stone slammed into the wall, but Avan was ready for this. As soon as he brought his body close to the ground, Avan captured him in a mound of earth up to his neck. The two of them went to tend to the young woman.

Avan carefully peeled back the tape from the woman's mouth and untied the bindings on her arms and legs. Avan was a bit smitten by the young woman. Her delicate hands and feet protruded from her deep red and black dress. The somewhat pale complexion, typical of many fire-benders, only served to deepen the colors of her clothing. She had large, hazel colored eyes and almost completely black hair, still neatly tied back into a long ponytail that fell below her shoulder blades. Avan, a bit embarrassed, caught his stare having lingered perhaps just a bit too long. If she had noticed, she did not let on.

"Thank you for your help, but who are you? You're obviously not from around here."

"I'm Avan, this is Kya. We're here on a bit of a vacation from Republic City and were actually heading back to meet the rest of our group when we heard you yelling. Do you know who these guys are?"

"No," she answered, "I've never seen them before. They just came out of the shadows and jumped me."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just some bumps and bruises probably."

Kya turned to question their captives, "Who are you, why were you trying to kidnap her?" The man in ice turned away, "We aren't going to tell you anything."

Avan clenched his fist, tightening the rock entrapping their other prisoner. "Do you have anything you'd like to tell us?"

He struggled to push out his words, "Piss off, ugh, you...don't even have any...authority here!"

Kya placed a hand on Avan's shoulder; he relaxed and the rock along with him. He looked up at Kya, "Sorry. So, what do we do with these guys?"

Kya turned to the young woman, "Can you lead us to the nearest police outpost?" She nodded. Avan proceeded to wrap the two criminals in shackles of stone, attached to one another, and they walked them to the station, which turned out to be not too far. It was almost vacant, only a single officer remained since the balance were out patrolling for the festival. They explained what had happened and left the two men in one of the cells.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Ziara. Please come back to my home with me, my mother would want to meet you and thank you for what you did." They looked at one another quickly. "Well, we have been gone quite a while, we should...," Avan said being cut off. "We would be happy to; they won't miss us for a couple more hours," Kya interrupted.

Kya looked at Avan with a gentle smile. Avan walked next to Ziara with Kya trailing a bit behind. He discovered that both she and her mother actually worked for Slagwerker International and had moved there only in the past couple years for work. She was returning from the festival herself when she was attacked. Avan didn't see the harm in telling a bit about why they there and basically staying at the Slagwerker compound; although, he left things vague about just investigating a crime in Republic City.

They stood in front of a door that was part of a row of homes. As Ziara turned the knob, the door shot open, "Ziara, where have you been? I've been worried it is getting so late!" She stopped when she saw the extra two faces with her daughter.

Ziara flung her arms around the older woman and squeezed tight. With tears in her eyes, "Mom, these are Kya and Avan. Kya, Avan, this is my mother, Soufa. They both saved me from two attackers that were trying to kidnap me for some reason. If not for them..."

"Oh honey," her mom replied, "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Are you okay? Are you injured? Where are the men?" Her mother peppered her with a stream of questions as she tried to give a more detailed account of the events of the night. After several minutes, her mother caught her own breath, "I am so sorry! You are just being left standing out here while I babble on. Please come in, at least for some tea. I can't thank you enough for what you have done."

They entered the home and sat down around the kitchen table while Ziara's mother prepared some tea and snacks. "Where did your friends go? Why were you even walking by yourself?"

"It's my fault mom, it was already really late and they all had to work tomorrow, but I insisted that I would be fine and that it was just a short walk back home anyway, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it is not your fault. The town quite safe these days, I've been told, compared to how it used to be, but there is always some trouble lurking about. I guess something like the festival is going to bring a bit more of that element out." She brought out the tea and served Kya and Avan who offered their thanks. "It's nice to enjoy the festivals as a family, I was just so exhausted, I came back earlier. We unfortunately still have to get to work later today. It's going to be a long day for the two of us. Did your husband stay behind?"

Kya and Avan looked at one another realizing where the comment was coming from. "Oh, Kya is not my mother, she has been my mentor for some time, it's a bit complicated. We came here on a sort of vacation. My parents both passed away a while ago." Ziara recounted the bits of detail that Avan had given her earlier.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't presume. Well the spirits must have been looking out for us to have placed you here at just the right moment," said Soufa.

While they had only meant to stay for a moment, Kya and Soufa began speaking of events past and found kindred spirits in each other. Stories surfaced from both of them from both long past and of more recent adventures that brought them to where they were now. It wasn't long before the two older women were well into a third pot of tea. Ziara had motioned for Avan to join her on a small veranda off the kitchen while they were still polishing off the first pot.

She was standing alone there, looking up at the sky. Avan took up a spot nearby. After several moments of silence, she spoke, "I lost my father a couple of years ago. It was difficult; still is I guess. You never really forget them do you?" Avan simply nodded in agreement. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to lose both parents."

Being a bit clumsy on the social end, it took Avan a moment to realize the fact she was trying to open up to him through one of the few facts of which she was aware. "I don't think it is something that a person can ever forget." He paused a moment, "How did you lose your father, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It was just bad luck I guess, he was traveling to Republic City actually, for a job interview. The ship he was on was caught in a storm and capsized. It apparently went down very quickly and most of those on board had little chance to even get above deck. He was one of over a hundred people that died out there. I remember when we were told about the accident, my mom and I just fell there crying for probably ten or fifteen minutes." She laughed a bit, recalling the scene, "The poor guy sent to tell us, I'm sure he didn't know what to do watching us melt down like that. I guess you know it has become easier when you can laugh about parts of it later." Silence fell between them again for a few minutes.

Ziara pointed to the green sash Avan wore around his waist and the pin, mostly obscured, that was stuck through it. "Did those belong to your parents?"

Caught a bit off-guard, "Oh, yeah, how did you...?"

"Well it seemed a little odd for a guy to be walking around with a hairpin tucked into his waist, after talking, I just took a guess at it. I supposed the sash belonged to your dad?" She pulled back her sleeve a bit to reveal a rather chunky watch on her wrist. "My dad left his watch behind on accident, I still wear it. I don't think the time is even correct. I guess a lot of people want to hang onto little mementos when this sort of thing happens."

Avan pulled out the hairpin and rolled it in the palm of his hand. It was silver, a bit tarnished, and not particularly ornate, just painted with a simple earth-kingdom design. "The sash was actually my mom's. The hairpin belonged to my sister. They were wearing them the night they died."

Ziara turned in surprise to the comment, "Do you mean...?"

"Yeah, they died the same night...along with my father." He stopped short recounting his own story. It was a bit to much to spring something that heavy on someone he had just met really.

"Spirits, I'm so sorry. How did...?"

Avan cut her short this time, "If it's okay, maybe I can tell you that story some other time." After a brief pause, she smiled, "Sure." He tucked the hairpin back in, out of sight.

They spent some time talking about their own lives. She described the work she was doing for Slagwerker. It seemed to be some kind of inventory or logistical control position; she seemed to be quite happy with it. He described the work he had been doing healing in Republic City. At the mention of the Avatar, she became excited and it sent her down a whole new avenue of questions. "I mean, it's not like I hang out with her all the time...," he tried to explain. "Yeah, but this means I am like just one degree of separation from THE Avatar!"

Before they knew it, several hours had passed for them as well when Kya and Soufa finally came out outside to join them. "Looks like we all burned the whole night away," said Soufa. They looked to the sky and it dawned on them that the sun was beginning to creep up already. "This is going to be a long day with no sleep all night; I hope Asami and Korra don't have anything planned for us," commented Kya. "We better let you guys get some rest, you have to work today too right?" Avan mentioned. Soufa put her hand on Ziara's shoulder, "Yes, we should."

Avan and Kya offered many thanks for the hospitality, while Soufa returned just as many responses that there was no need for thanks after what they had done for them. As they departed, still in view of the house, Ziara ran to stop them. "Wait! Here these are for you." She handed a small satchel to Kya, "This is some of the tea my mom made, just as a small token of the evening. She makes the blend herself." She grabbed Avan's hand and sandwiched it between hers. Her hands were soft and warm. Standing there, Avan tried to memorize the feeling of that moment. When she removed her hands, a small hairpin was left behind in Avan's palm. It was fairly small, but bright gold with red and black trim in the style of the fire nation. "Just a small token to remember me," she said coyly. "I don't know if we will ever see each other again, but I hope we do." She quickly turned to return home with a bashful grin on her face.

Kya looked over at Avan, frozen in place and red in the face. "Well, I guess you made quite the impression!" she exclaimed with a wide grin on her face. "Come on, we better get back, I'm sure by now even Korra is beginning to worry about where we have been." Avan tucked the hairpin in next to her sister's. Dawn had fully captured the sky as they started to make their way back to the complex.


	8. Hidden Connection

Kya and Avan quickly found themselves mixed in with what they assumed to be the morning shift for Slagwerker and probably the surrounding companies as well, though their clothes let them stick out like sore thumbs. They yawned many times on the walk back to the complex. While the night was filled with excitement, fatigue was now collecting its toll for the evening. The guard at the gates to Slagwerker International stopped them.

"Halt! Do you work here? I need to see your work badges." They exchanged looks.  
"Sir, we are here with Ms. Sato from Future Industries and Avatar Korra. We arrived here yesterday afternoon in that airship," said Kya. She pointed out, quite unnecessarily, the airship parked in the middle of the courtyard not more than 200 meters from them, and the guard gave them a grin of disbelief. "We went to the festival last night and stayed out a bit later than planned," added Avan.  
"Well look, I'm going to have to call the main office. They sat down on the floor next to the gate, supporting one another back to back. With the strong feeling of utter exhaustion, it was all they could do to keep from flopping down flat onto the ground. After several minutes, the guard ran out to them at attention, almost startling them from their state of half sleep. "Ma'am, sir, I am very sorry for the delay. Please go on in. I've been instructed to tell you that Ms. Sato and Avatar Korra are aboard the airship." From the expression on his face, they could tell he had obviously been reprimanded a bit for making them wait.  
"Thank you," said Kya, "I know you are just doing your job."  
"Thank you Ma'am." he responded. They slowly picked themselves off the floor and made their way to the airship ramp.

As they crested the ramp into the airship, Asami and Korra came down a side passage to greet them. "Where in the world have you been? We knew you were at the festival, but when it started to get into the early morning hours and then light, we really started to worry," said Korra. "Oh mom, we're grown-ups you didn't need to worry, I tried to call, but no one answered," Kya replied with a grin. Korra crossed her arms and shot them a look, "Don't make me send you to bed without dessert young lady."

After brief pause, laughter broke out of the four of them. "Are you guys okay though, really?" asked Asami. "I mean, to be honest you kind of look like hell." Kya and Avan hadn't even thought about it, but they took inventory of themselves and realized they were visibly dirty and a bit sweaty. They probably smelled of it too, along with a good mix of fried foods and who knows what else. Their clothes looked like they had been wearing them for quite some time, and their faces were a bit drawn due to lack of sleep, with multiple dark rings under their eyes.  
"Yeah, it looks like you two have either been in a fight or had a wild night," Korra commented. Avan and Kya, with arms on each other's shoulders let out a great belly laugh, "Korra you are so right about that," said Avan.  
A bit puzzled, Asami suggested, "Well, why don't you guys clean up or grab a nap and we'll talk later."  
"Wait, where are you guys going?" asked Avan. Korra turned as they were walking towards the ramp with a sigh, "Another day of rummaging through records, yay..." Korra turned back with a defeated look on her face.  
"Let's take their advice, I am beat," suggested Kya. So they headed back to their rooms on board to clean themselves up and rest a bit.

* * *

Avan awoke some hours later, a bit unsure of the time. After finally cleaning up from the night before and donning a fresh set of clothes, he left his room to figure out the state of the world around him. Kya's room was open and she had already left. He found some of the crew in the galley and learned that Kya had already gone to join up with Asami and Korra. Grabbing a piece of fruit, he decided to join them to find out the status of their information search. It was early afternoon and on the way to the main administration building, the compound was in high gear again with people bustling here and there. His thoughts wandered to the evening before as his hand fell to the, now, two pins he had tucked in at his side.

The receptionist had already been made aware of their party and she caught Avan as soon as he entered the lobby and directed him to the third floor where Asami and the others were working. Asami, Korra and Kya were in a medium-sized conference room with several boxes of papers on the table. It looked as if they were either finished or taking a break since there were barely a few sheets of documents in front of them and the boxes were neatly filed. "Finally awake to join us Avan?" Korra quipped. "Sorry," he responded, "I didn't even realize how late it had become. I guess I was more worn out than I thought."

The three women exchanged glances at one another and could barely restrain laughter, "Long night last night huh?" said Asami, "It's tough work rescuing fair maidens." The three finally gave in and burst out laughing. Avan turned bright red, and Kya got up and put her arm around him. "No need to be embarrassed, we're all just poking fun," said Korra, "Believe me, I wish I had joined you guys last night. I was so jealous after Kya told me about your night. We spent almost the whole night here going through paperwork and then went to bed. You guys were probably still getting going by the time we were asleep!"  
"So tell us about this girl you met," said Asami with a teasing look on her face.  
Avan rolled his eyes. "So did you find anything interesting?"  
"Don't kiss and tell eh?" teased Korra.  
"You should be one to talk huh?" responded Avan. Asami and Kya, with a slight blush, both broke out in laughter.  
"He can give as good as he gets can't he!" Kya said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Asami looked down, "We didn't get much to be honest. We have just a small lead of a series of orders that seemed out of place. A series of shipments to the Prime Earth Movers Corporation a bit less than a year ago were all listed as iron ore. I mean this isn't terribly odd, except why would they need to be importing so much of it from the Fire Nation when they are the chief exporters of it. We are going to cross check with their inventory directly and see if there is a discrepancy. Someone should be here soon with those records." "Just more waiting around," added Korra, spinning a pen around with her head laid down on the table. Asami reached over and messaged Korra's head lightly.

A few minutes later, a young woman walked in with a folder of paperwork and took a seat at the head of the conference table, adjacent Asami and Korra. "Avan?" They all turned to look at him as a light blush spread across his face. "Ziara? It's, uh, good to see you again. When you said you worked logistics here, I didn't think you meant you managed it," he said a bit unsure of himself.  
"Well, I'm not in charge, I'm just one of several people that do this stuff, it just happened that your request had come across my desk."  
"Are you feeling alright? I'm surprised you didn't decide to just take the day off. I mean, I'm glad you didn't, it was good to see you again..."  
"I'm a bit bruised here and there from the attack, but no worse for wear, and mom was pretty insistent I still come in."

Korra gave Avan a nudge in the rib and commented, "Wow she's quite a looker," purposely in a loud enough whisper that everyone in the room could overhear, just deepening the hue on Avan's face. Asami cleared her throat to get back on track, though with a scheming smile on her face. "So about the discrepancies you found...," Ziara quickly dropped back into a business-like mode. She went through the paperwork with Asami that showed from the changes in inventory that the records in the main office had in fact been tampered with. Based on the inventory records, there were some fairly exotic materials and parts being channeled through Slagwerker to the Prime Earth Movers. The only reason Asami could think to do this is to hide the fact they were collecting such components.

"While it still can't prove anything for sure, it is certainly highly suspicious and these components could certainly be used in the development of high-tech military equipment, beyond what the earth kingdom typically is known to utilize," Asami concluded. Ziara made a move to stand up, but Asami's hand on her arm caused here to cease and sit back down.

Asami was satisfied that their investigation at Slagwerker was completed. Ziara looked around at the others in the room, a bit uncomfortable given the company. Asami tried to put her mind at ease, "I'm sorry if I was a bit terse when you first came in. After spending the better part of two days going through all this, I just really wanted to get to the bottom of it so I can stop thinking about it! I have never enjoyed paperwork, and going through another company's records is even worse than having to deal with my own. No offense meant of course, I know this is part of your job."  
"Oh none taken Ms. Sato, believe me, when I was younger, I didn't grow up wishing I would be doing this, but it just turned out that I am really good at tracking this kind of stuff," responded Ziara.  
Asami stood up and offered her hand, "Ziara, please call me Asami. This is Avatar Korra, just call her Korra." Korra gave her a playful smile, agreeing with the "just Korra" comment. "And I guess you already know Kya and Avan."  
"Yes, I can't thank them enough for rescuing me last night. Kya, my mom really enjoyed meeting you, she talked about you all the way to bed last night and again first thing this morning."  
Kya nodded and smiled, "You have a wonderful mother, and please thank her for the tea."  
"Yes, I do, and I will."  
Asami sat back down as a serious expression went across her face, "Whoever we are up against is good. We need to be careful as we proceed."  
Korra asked, "What do you mean?"  
"Think about it, it hasn't been long after the attack at Air Temple Island. The slim clue we did have led us to investigating a paper trail, and conveniently we find the records were doctored! Now think about last night. Do you think it just coincidence that Ziara here happened to be targeted by kidnappers the night before she was able to bring us the evidence that something was actually wrong with the records here? Maybe I am paranoid, I don't know, but you know what they were able to do to me. How difficult would it have been for them to do the same to her and have her deliver us false papers that would lead us to a dead-end?"  
"Asami, you're saying Ziara was targeted because of us? That they are already on to us?" asked Avan.  
"This all seems too much to be coincidence alone." She turned to Kya, "Do you know where you turned in the attackers from last night?"  
Kya nodded, "Ziara could probably lead us there more quickly."  
Ziara's eyes darted from one to the next, "I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

The group left quickly and commandeered a vehicle in the yard to make their way to the station where the attackers were dropped off the night before. Ziara directed them to the quickest route there. As they neared, Asami already knew what they were going to find. Several other vehicles were parked in front of the police station and the area was blocked off. Asami got out to speak with the officers that were in charge of keeping people like them away from the scene.

They could see Asami's level of frustration first rise, trying to get information out of the officers about what had happened, then she must have hit the right note and became more satisfied at the responses she was getting. As Asami jumped back into the vehicle, Korra questioned, "So what happened?" Asami hit the steering wheel with a fist, obviously annoyed. Korra reached over and gently messaged her thigh, "Sami, what's wrong?"  
"They are gone. The station was attacked this morning and the two people you turned in last night are missing. So again, we are left with almost no leads. I can't be sure, but I bet they are all connected to the same group. They were probably going to have Ziara here doctor up the only records left with any information to leave us with nothing at all. We only have that information because of the dumb luck of Kya and Avan choosing that moment to walk back from a party!" Asami was huffing at this point and Korra moved to give her a hug and calm her.  
"Sami, why are you so heated about this? We will figure this out and find who is behind all of this," said Korra in a soft voice, realizing the irony of her being the one trying to calm Asami's hotheadedness.  
"Korra, don't you get it! They hold all the cards, we don't know who they are. These people will use anyone they see fit to get at you; they even went through me!" Asami's voice cracked and tears began to fall from her cheeks. "They forced me to go after you; I will never forgive them, I will not stop until I find them!" Asami burst out of the car and started walking back along the road; Korra quickly jumnped out to follow.

The three of them sat in the back silently watching the drama unfold. It was apparent to all of them that this was something that Korra and Asami would be best left to work out. After a few moments of silence, "So I wasn't just a random target to those guys last night," Ziara said.  
"It sounds a bit far-fetched, but when you lay all of this down like that, it is hard to blow it off as coincidence. I mean, those records you found for us, would anyone else have access to them in the same way as yourself?" asked Avan.  
"No, there is a group that shares the work load as a whole, but we manage the individual accounts pretty much personally."  
Ziara looked over the two of them, "Do you think my mom and I are safe now, I mean at this point there is nothing more for them to gain from me right?"  
"I think so, but we can figure out the best thing to do when they get back. So far, these guys seem to be quite calculated, I don't see why they would go after you further if there isn't anything to gain." Avan spoke with assurance, but inside he was worried that he may be wrong.

Korra quickly caught up with Asami and grabbed her hand to hold her back. "Sami, talk to me please." The taller woman wheeled around and buried her face in Korra's neck, still sobbing.  
"Korra, I tried to look past what happened. I've tried to take what you said to heart, but I just cannot forget it. I keep reliving the moments in my head. I just wasn't strong enough and now I feel hopeless again trying to get to the bottom of all this. I'm angry. I'm angry at myself; I'm angry at someone who I don't even know; I'm frustrated that we can't act to bring closure to all of this mess!" Korra wrapped her arms around her, "We will get through this."  
After some comforting, they made their way back to the vehicle, passengers still waiting in the back. Asami addressed primarily Ziara, "Sorry about that little breakdown...it's been kind of a difficult time for me. Let's get back to the compound. I think we have found as much as we can expect to here. It's time for us to move on to the Prime Earth Movers. I don't think we are going to find anything there, but I think it will move us closer to the conclusion of this mess."

Asami drove them quickly back to the Slagwerker factory complex. She was anxious to get to their next destination, but knew she had to properly thank Mr. Hazar before departing. Despite this, they still spoke at length about the situation both she and the Avatar were in and how it related to Ziara and her mother. After bringing in Ziara and her mother, it was decided that the best course would be for them to remain there. Mr. Hazar offered assurances that they would be provided extra security until this was resolved. Finally, Korra and Asami offered farewells to the group that had been assisting them and they headed out to the airship. From the boarding area, they could see Avan lingering at the factory gates.

"I guess this is good-bye again, though it will probably be a while before you'd return here; for real this time." Ziara looked slightly downward, shuffling her shoes on the drive.  
"I don't know where exactly all this is going to take us, but I really enjoyed meeting you. I'm sorry that it had to be under...these circumstances. If we hadn't come here..." Ziara reached out and put her finger on Avan's lips, silencing the thought. "If you hadn't come here, we would never have met. Now you better get going, I know Ms. Sato was anxious to leave."  
Avan nodded, paused, "Take care of yourself, please be careful, you and your mom." They looked at one another for a few more moments and just as Avan began to turn to head back to the airship, Ziara caught his cheek with one hand and gave him a light kiss on the other, "You too." She smiled and made her own turn to head out. Avan stood for a moment, frozen. He could feel warmth rise to his face and smiled as well.

"What no laughs or smirking comments?" he said as he boarded the airship, passing the three waiting women. They all just smiled at him. There was no need for anything now they all thought. It was already evening, but Asami insisted they depart immediately. They moved to the galley for dinner. The conversation was fairly light as they all felt Asami's sense of anxiety to some degree or another. There was a unknown enemy against them who was able to track and foresee their actions sufficiently to catch almost their every move. They all decided to turn in early since there was not much else they could do and it would be some time before they were expected at their next destination.

* * *

Avan tried in vain to fall asleep. He was thinking about the attackers from before, Ziara, returning to the Earth kingdom, and what kind of person they would be facing. Deciding that he had absorbed all the detail of the ceiling that was possible, he headed up to the observation deck to get fresh air. He paced around every now and then, but mostly sat staring out at the islands or open ocean slowly passing beneath. After about an hour, he was surprised when he noticed someone else at the opposite end of the deck. It was dark so he couldn't identify the person and he wasn't sure if he had been noticed, so he remained where he was in case they were looking for the same solace. It wasn't long before the figure approached.

"You couldn't sleep either, eh?" asked Korra. "No, for some reason I can't stop thinking about all the stuff that has happened so recently. I thought if I came out here it would clear my mind, but so far it's not doing anything for me. What about you, I thought you slept like a rock?"  
Korra stared out at the starry horizon, "Yeah, usually. I'm worried about Asami." Avan glanced up at her, but waited to let her decide if she wanted to elaborate. "I've never seen her like this. I tried to make her understand that what happened wasn't her fault, and I don't think she believes it is, but I think she really feels personally hurt by it. I'm not sure if it is pride or something deeper, but I am worried that it is beginning to eat at her. I think she is becoming obsessed with getting revenge over whoever did that to her, and I'm a bit worried over what is going to happen when we find them. It took me a long time to realize that simply attacking people to get even, teach them a lesson or whatever is rarely the best approach. I guess I'm not really one to talk." They both sat in silence for a while as the cool night air passed them by.

Korra finally stood up, "Look, I've been wanting to ask you something since the whole incident at the Air Temple. I don't want you to feel obligated in anyway, it has to be your decision and something you are comfortable with. We're alone here and it seems like as good a time as any." Avan stared at Korra, unsure of where this was going. "Will you show me your blood-bending?"  
Avan was taken aback, "What?!"  
"I mean, sorry, that isn't quite what I meant. When I fought with Amon, I was completely helpless to his blood-bending. I didn't understand it and so I couldn't do anything. I had asked Master Katara about it before, but she refused. I don't know what I will ever face in the future and I just want to try and learn enough so that I can protect myself from being controlled again, even it just a little bit to gain a chance. Except for Master Katara, all the blood-benders that we are aware of would probably use the chance only to escape prison or kill me, except now you. Not only that, it would be harder to coordinate schedules with the full moon for someone else. I know no one else seemed to notice it, but I know that evening when you healed Asami, it was a new moon and yet you still were able to do something like that." Korra caught her rambling.

Avan took a deep breath and thought silently for a few moments. "I'll admit, the thought of trying to teach anyone else bending has never occurred to me. I don't think I can argue with your reasoning though and you, being the Avatar, are probably one of the only people on the world that I feel like could be trusted with it."  
Korra interrupted, "I don't want you to do it because I am the Avatar or because of friendship or anything else, it has to be your decision."  
"I didn't mean it that way, I mean, I feel that I know you enough that you could be trusted with it. It is not an easy thing to carry around. It isn't like air bending where you can just pull it out and use it for convenience on a whim, I mean, you're controlling or influencing another's life in a much more personal way. At least that's how I see it."

After a brief pause, "Okay, let's start." Korra responded with surprise in her voice, "What? Now?" Avan pointed over towards the full moon, "Well, unless you're really lucky and can pick it up anytime or you want to wait for another month, do we really have a choice?" Korra looked at him dumbfounded, "I guess you're right."  
"We can probably work a couple days before the moon will move too far out to give you an extra boost of energy for water-bending." So they sat down facing one another on the open deck.

Avan wasn't really sure where to start since he had never taught nor had formal lessons himself. "First, just try to focus on my hand. Start with what you know from water-bending, but try to sense through my hand. It is almost like using your healing to gain a sense of the flow of the energy within, but combining it with water-bending to influence a part of the source of that energy, the blood. It's a bit hard to describe, but try to start with that."

Korra stared at Avan's hand and tried to concentrate deeply on it. She first tried to access her healing as Avan mentioned, but just couldn't. "I'm having trouble focusing even on the energy side of things, much less anything else." Avan thought for a moment, ran off and quickly returned with a pitcher of water. "Let's start with this. Use the water for healing, it should help to better connect you with my energy to start." Korra bent some water out and it started to glow as usual as she brought it to Avan's hand. He could feel the slight warmth from the healing.  
"You can envision the flow of energy now?"  
"Yes."  
"Keep concentrating on that. Don't worry about trying to manipulate it at all like in healing, but just try to see it in your mind."

Slowly, Avan began to bend away some of the water, bit by bit. As the water became thin, Korra had to visibly put forth more and more effort to hold onto the connection.

"It's becoming more faint."  
"Let's leave this amount then to start. Keep focusing on the flow of energy, but now try to use your water-bending to focus more closely on the flow of blood itself. Again, for now, just try to see it."

Korra's face was now tense with concentration. "I think I see it!" she suddenly exclaimed.  
"Okay, try to be calm and concentrate. See if you can bend it. It will be much more difficult that bending water, I think that is why you see blood-benders using more rigid motion, like earth-bending. You are not just moving the blood like water; you must counteract the life-force and energy of the other person. This counterforce exists even if the other person were to be completely willing, a person's own will always resists giving up control to anything else. The stronger willed the person, usually the more difficult they can be to influence." She refocused herself, determined, and stared at Avan's hand, she used her arms to motion around it, as he said, taking on the stiff, willful motion of earth-bending. After just a minute or two, Korra dropped the water and fell to her back, disappointed, sweaty and exhausted from the exertion.

"Nothing, I couldn't move a finger."  
"No, it wasn't nothing. I could feel your influence in my hand, it was still somewhat weak, but you have gained an understanding of it. That's amazing for less than an hour of practice! I think you just need to work harder at focusing yourself more, the tingle or whatever you would call it, was still spread thinly."  
Korra sat back up and wiped her brow, "I can't believe that you do all of this at once, it is taking almost everything I've got to concentrate enough to spread myself thin as you say."  
"Well, I wouldn't expect it to be easy, I mean, think of how much you probably practiced to master all the elements."  
Korra let out a small laugh, "Actually, these all came quite easily to me, well except for air bending, but that was more a mental block I had to get over, after that I took it up really quick. I guess the metal-bending was a bit of effort, but even that didn't take me long to get the hang of."  
Avan looked with astonishment, "Being the Avatar really is pretty amazing." Korra smiled back innocently. They worked for a few more hours in the night. By the time light was just starting show over the horizon, Korra had learned enough to control one of Avan's arms fairly well, but without any fine motor control. Though she was only able to do this because he was trying to minimize his resistance to her control.

"It's going to be light soon, but let's try the next step once before we stop. I'm going to control just your arm and I want you to try and wrestle the control back from me. I will try weakly at first and we'll see where we end up. It should be exactly the same as before, only you will be focusing on yourself and I will have the disadvantage of going up against your willpower."  
Korra smiled at that, "Good luck with that! If there's one thing I got, it's willpower!" Having spoken the words, images of Amon flashed into her mind as she remembered what her willpower had done for her before. She quickly shook off the memory, and readied herself.

Avan was able to hold up Korra's arm against her desire with a small effort. "Now focus on yourself, take back control and push out my influence to free your arm." As she concentrated, she was able to bring her arm back down and move her fingers once again.  
"I have it, but it feels very strange, like I am pushing my arm through molasses."  
"That is the resistance of my own bending you are feeling, as you push it further out, it will feel more normal." She envisioned her energy fighting outward harder and soon was able to freely move once again. "Good. Now I am going tighten control, ready?" Korra nodded. Her arm quickly fling back up and straight out. She bared down once again and was able to take back some control, but she was not able to throw off the thick feeling of the control this time. She struggled a bit, fatigue from the practice and lack of sleep was quickly catching up to her, "I think this is all I can do right now."

As Avan released control, blurry visions flashed in Korra's mind. She stumbled back slightly at the suddenness of it and caught herself. She rubbed her arm, "It has been a while, but I remember now why you would refer to it as cold blood-bending. When I lose control, it's almost like my arm isn't there, sort of like it's fallen asleep, but more deeply." She then gave Avan a puzzling look, "Did you do something?"  
"What do you mean? I swear, I didn't do anything but control your arm."  
"No, I...," she collected herself, "I had a sudden flash of visions right at the end, when I felt your control leaving." She thought hard on the vague images. "These scenes, I can't place them, but they felt familiar, more like memories." Her thoughts quickened, "Take control again."  
"Are you sure? I don't want to push you too hard."  
"No, please, I need to find out something."

Avan focused and Korra's arm again shot out. This time, she did not try to resist it, she, in fact, tried to synchronize her own energy to Avan's influence. Avan was surprised, "I didn't even think to work with the other form with you, I just figured that it would be much more difficult; it always was for me. I can sense what you are trying to do." Korra didn't answer but closed her eyes and only concentrated more deeply on the flow of energy from Avan. Flashes of memories again came, more clearly now. "I am seeing visions. Not just visions; these are memories of the past!"  
"I don't know what you mean exactly, no one has ever mentioned anything like this to me before, should we stop?"  
"No, please, let me think about this. Why is this familiar, I feel like I should know these images." A revelation swept through her mind, "These are memories from Avatar Kyoshi and Avatar Kuruk!" she thought to herself. The flow of energy ceased suddenly, and she opened her eyes to the sight and sound of Avan hitting the floor.

"What are you doing to Korra!" Asami yelled at Avan, who was on the floor, holding his jaw. They were both deeply concentrating and had not heard Asami running towards them or the swift punch she delivered. Korra jumped down to Avan to wave off any further assault from Asami, "Sami, please stop! It's not what it looked like!"  
"It looked like he was blood-bending you!"  
Korra thought a moment and smiled up to her partner, "Okay, well it was what it looked like, but I asked Avan to teach me, we were working together."

The aggression slowly drained from Asami's face and was replaced with concern and embarrassment, "Avan, I'm so sorry, I just came up here. You and Korra were there and she looked like she was frozen and you were focused on her and with all the stuff that happened and people losing control, I thought that..." Avan stopped her, "Asami, it's okay. I understand what it looked like, you don't have to explain." She looked at him with deep concern.  
"Really it's okay."  
"Let me get you some ice," said Asami as she quickly retreated below again.

Avan and Korra exchanged glances. "That is kind of what I meant before when I said I was worried about her. I feel like my Sami before all this happened wouldn't have jumped to attacking you before knowing what the situation was; that's something I would do." Korra then snapped back to the train of thought she held before Avan was knocked down, "I lost my connection with the earlier Avatars, why am I able to draw upon images from them again through you?" Avan couldn't offer anything else but an "I don't know." Korra went on to explain how she had lost her connection with the past Avatars after her battle with Vaatu. "I guess I never thought about it, but it makes sense that their spirits wouldn't just be destroyed. They would go to exist somewhere. I was definitely pulling through our connection. I don't understand what has happened either. Have you ever had visions, dreams or anything like a spiritual connection before?"

He thought a moment, "Not really, very rarely, I have had dreams of people or places that I'm pretty sure I have never seen before, but I'm pretty sure everyone has those kinds of things, right? I've certainly never had a conversation with any spirits."  
"I guess there isn't much we can do now, but I would like to go to the spirit world sometime with and meditate on this. Maybe it could give some insight into what is going on. I wonder if there are other people out there with connections to the spirits of other Avatars buried deep within."

Asami popped back up the stairs with cloth bag in hand. She brought it over the Avan and held it on his jaw, "I'm really sorry about that; I don't know why I reacted like that." Avan took the ice from her and held it for a few moments before unscrewing the top and bending out some of the water to place on his own chin. Asami chuckled a bit, "Oh yeah, I guess that would probably be more effective than my non-bender method. So what were you guys doing up here? Have you been here all night?"

Korra and Avan surveyed each other and guessed that the answer to the latter was easily visible from the dark rings under their eyes. "I had asked Avan to teach me some basics of blood-bending," Korra stated. She waited for a moment for Asami's reaction to the disclosure.  
"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean blood-bending is really manipulating other people directly. It's not like other bending in my book."  
"I know, I didn't intend to 'use' it on people. Besides, I doubt I will ever be proficient with it enough to do anything."  
"Proficient with what?" asked Kya, coming up the stairs, "You two look terrible, have you been up here all night fighting or something?"  
"They were pretty much, Korra asked Avan to teach her blood-bending."  
Kya looked sternly at the two of them, "I don't know if you should be messing with that Korra."  
She interrupted, "Let me finish. I was explaining that I simply asked for Avan to teach me enough so that if I were to encounter another Amon, I may be able to keep enough control over myself to do something about it. Based on what I did tonight, I'll be surprised if after practicing I ever gain enough skill to maintain control of one of my own limbs! I'm not going to go around and try to establish myself as the new blood Avatar or anything!"  
Kya revised her thoughts, "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that. I know you are a much more careful and thoughtful person than that. As you said, it is the not the bending that makes the person...either of you." She finally looked over Avan, "What happened to you!?"  
Asami exhaled, "Sorry that one was my fault. I'll explain at breakfast."

Korra stayed still as they moved for the stairs. "There was one more thing...," she said, "I think at least two of the past Avatar spirits have somehow linked themselves with Avan."  
"What!?" announced Asami and Kya.  
"I don't quite understand either, but I'll try to explain at breakfast. I guess we are going to have a lot to talk about this morning."

* * *

"So what are you going to do?" asked Asami.  
"There isn't really anything to do. I think if we meditate in the spirit world, I may have my best chance at actually connecting with them, but they are now part of a past cycle of Avatars and part of Avan. All of that will have to wait until we sort out the mess in front of us anyhow," responded Korra.  
"We should be reaching Zaofu soon, though we were not expected until tomorrow. Even though we are early, my suspicion is that they already know we are here."  
Kya interjected, "Who will know, planning what?"  
"The group that we've been pursuing."  
"Sami, I've been wanting to talk to you about this. I think you've become too wrapped up in, whatever is going on. You're becoming obsessed with it and I am starting to worry about you."

Asami glared at Korra, "Of course I am wrapped up in it! You go around thinking everything will just work itself out and then you'll jump in and save the day! We wouldn't even know the little we do if I hadn't used my connections to investigate the lead we had! Don't you even care that they attacked the Air Nation, your family, me! They used me Korra! Why is it you can be so calm about it!" Asami had worked herself up into a frenzy and stormed off from the group.  
"Sami, wait!" said Korra as he ran off to catch up. Kya looked at Avan, "This is something they are going to have to work through. We'll be there for them when they need us though."  
"Korra told me she was worried about how Asami has been acting last night. I didn't realize it had been eating at her so much. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that Korra is more in tune with her than anyone."

They nibbled on a bit of food, though the remainder of their appetite had left them now. "So you decided to work with Korra on blood-bending?" asked Kya.  
"She asked me, but yes. I never thought about ever trying to teach someone else, though when she asked, I realized that I kind of agree with most people that it would be better for this form of bending to disappear. People around you worry about what you might or might not be doing. How are they to know that they aren't being subtly influenced by it? They have a right to be suspicious. Sometimes it is difficult to not use it. Wouldn't it be easier to just always get your way? From what Tenzin told me, I don't think that I would have wanted to teach the Korra from four or five years ago. It sounded like she would always turn to bending to solve any problem."  
Kya laughed at the comment, "Oh you don't know the half of it. She was quite hot-headed! Still is, but now she has a good head on her shoulders."  
"The Korra I have come to know, I believe that she will know when it is right to resort to it," he paused slightly and smiled, "Besides, based on what I've seen, I don't think she is going to have the skill in it to do much beyond protecting herself." He turned to look directly at Kya, "Please don't tell her I said that though!"  
Kya smiled and nodded, "Okay, just remember I have that little nugget on you though!"


	9. Reveal

"We received reports that they are nearing Zaofu. I've alerted everyone to be ready." "I suppose the misdirection in the Fire Nation didn't go as planned, no matter. Our other guests should be arriving here shortly as well. Just remember, we are not out to murder anyone; I don't want a repeat of what happened on Air Temple Island!"

"Of course, sir," he responded with a sneer.

Asami wanted to go to the PEM (Prime Earth Movers) corporate headquarters ahead of schedule. She was restless waiting to continue her investigation and had been getting dressed in her cabin. "Where are you going, Sami?" Korra asked, poking her head in the door. She had caught her getting ready with no mention of the fact. "I decided to try and meet with PEM today." "Were you planning to tell anyone that you were leaving? I thought we talked about you trying to rush into this on your own," Korra said in a gentle, concerned tone. Asami tilted her head down and her dark hair shielded her face as she exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry how I have been since the attack Korra. I feel like I am always on the edge of just lashing out at everyone." She put the bundle in her hands back down on her dresser. "I still just can't shake that feeling of having no control over myself. I still think about it and it scares me Korra." Korra's strong arms had moved to wrap around Asami's torso. "It's like you still have the poison of that night running through you right?" Asami looked back at Korra with the realization of just how much better she knew her situation than she had given her credit for. "Come on, I have an idea for you to feel a bit more in control and to work out this restlessness," suggested Korra as she grabbed Asami's hand, some clothes and pulled her out the door.

Korra pulled Asami up to the observation deck where Avan and Kya were waiting. She could see that Avan was wearing sparing gear and her own was sitting there waiting. "What you need is to work out some of your aggression. We've done nothing but sit in meeting rooms, shuffling papers, for a few days and you're just a bundle of tension. Avan, on the other hand, needs more practice at hand to hand, so I figure this works out perfectly." Korra smiled proudly at her plan. After changing into something more appropriate, Asami assessed Avan, "Are you sure about this?" Avan nodded, "Korra thinks I am ready for you, though I'm not quite sure what she meant by that." Asami laughed, "Well, I'll be the judge of that!" As they took positions, Asami was surprised at Avan's stance. "I can already tell that you've improved, you have a much stronger, stable stance than the first time I saw you sparing with Korra." She threw a couple punches and kicks into the air to loosen up and smiled widely at Avan, "Though, I'll warn you, if she doesn't fall back on her bending, I can take down Korra!" "Hey!" Korra yelled out at the comment. Asami gave her girl a quick glance sideways before settling her eyes back to Avan.

They started slowly, getting a feel for one another's skill level, though it was mostly Asami assessing Avan. She would have liked to just go at him, but she wanted to have a good workout. She was further impressed at how much Korra had been able to teach him and how much he'd picked up in a short time. They were both quite calculated in their attacks. "You don't have the more wild attack style that I would have expected from Korra teaching you. You have patience to wait for openings without wasting too much energy." "I think I could say the same for you as well." They both threw jabs at one another, but most were probing for reactions or weaknesses to exploit. When one would move slightly off balance or open up their guards inadvertently, the other was ready to strike hard; it was obvious Asami was able to get position on Avan more often, but Avan was not left without his openings as well. As they progressed, Asami quickly ratcheted up her level of attack, both speed and strength. Avan did well at defending and returning her attacks, but it wasn't too long before Avan was clearly on the defensive. Korra stood up to monitor a bit more closely, she could see that Asami had really started to work out her feelings on poor Avan and she didn't want him to take too much of that brunt. Avan felt the power of Asami's hits noticeably increase and he did what he could to block and absorb the blows. Finally, Asami fell into a quick frenzy ending with Avan being knocked to the floor. "Okay, I think that's enough," Korra said as she wrapped her arms around Asami from behind to reign her back in.

Asami took a breath and relaxed her body. "Are you okay?" she asked Avan, offering her hand to help him up. "Yeah, I guess I still have a long way to go." "No, you did well. Remember I've been doing this since I was little." When he was back on his feet, Asami gave him a quick hug, "Thanks for this. I really needed to just work out some of this anxiety I've been feeling." She then turned to Korra and embraced her in a tight hug and with a tender kiss, "And thank you for thinking of this. I really needed it." Avan rubbed his mid-section, "Thank goodness for the pads, I feel sorry for anyone picking a fight with you!" As Asami removed her gloves and head gear, a crew member came sprinting up the stairs, "Ms. Sato, we received a message for you!" She turned, "Who is it from?" "Chief Beifong, Republic City." He leaned over and spoke quietly and deliberately into her ear. As the message was relayed, her jaw slackened and her eyes fell into an icy stare. When the message was completed, the crew member quickly retreated below. Asami sat frozen and locked eyes with Korra. "Sami, what's wrong, what was the message?" "Korra, Lin got word this morning that your parents were abducted." Asami jumped up to grab her as Korra fell limp into her arms and held her tight. Korra's face fell pale and her face was covered in a blank stare. "Korra, it will be alright, we will get them back." Kya and Avan moved comfort her as well as Korra cried into Asami's chest.

PEM was quite isolated from its associated town, almost an hours flight along the coastline. The group would stay together for the meeting with PEM. Their spirits, especially Korra's, were down from the news of her family that they received the day before. Lin and Tenzin were already making their way to the Southern Water Tribe to investigate, so while conflicted, Korra had decided to stay with the Asami for at least the next day to see what their final destination may hold.

Before they even approached the factory, they noticed a stark contrast to the Slagwerker factory they had recently left behind. The coastal area surrounding the facility was steeped in a grayish haze of smoke and the smell of hot metal and burnt coal only increased in strength the closer they came. It was an older compound, but the black lined silhouettes were due to the years of soot from their production. Only when they were nearing the landing area could they make out some of the light tans, yellows and red trim of the true faces of the buildings. Looking out from the cockpit area, it was obvious none of them wanted to stay longer than necessary.

They landed and made their way to the main administration building. The PEM operations also demonstrated a different philosophy. There was a much heavier reliance on manual labor. Much larger numbers of benders and non-benders were employed to move both raw and finished materials to and fro. Avan also noted the large numbers of storage warehouses that lined the yards filled with piles of materials and crates of who knows what.

They were surprised when only a single administrator came to greet them in the lobby. She barely looked at them while speaking with unnecessary formality. "The Prime Earth Movers Corporation welcomes you Ms. Sato. You as well Avatar Korra. Mr. Dursh apologizes for not personally greeting you, but he wishes you to know that he will be seeing you shortly. If you'll follow me, I will show you to the conference room." As they all rose to move, she chimed in once again, still barely looking at them, "Mr. Dursh would like to meet with Ms. Sato and the Avatar only on this matter. If you would please wait here," she motioned for Avan and Kya to be seated, "I can arrange for a tour of the facilities for your other companions."

They were all quite taken aback by the woman in front of them. "Who does this Mr. Dursh think he is telling us who can and cannot accompany us! They are...," retorted Korra before being cut off by Asami's calm hand. Asami spoke diplomatically, "These other companions are both our friends and associates for this investigation. I don't believe that Mr. Dursh would be so crass as to force them to be treated like tourists." Avan and Kya glanced at one another since tourist were pretty much what they were. "B-But Mr. Dursh insisted," the woman tried to start again.  
"Nor do I believe that he would want to offend the Future Industries CEO in the first few minutes of her visit." She sent a powerful stare to the woman, waiting for a response.  
After a long moment of silence, the woman acquiesced to Asami's statements. "Very well, this way please," she spoke, motioning them through a set of doors off the lobby.

The woman led them through multiple hallways, turning this way and that, through several security doors. As they walked, Avan quietly commented to Kya, "Something about this feels strange doesn't it?" Kya whispered, "I agree. Where is everyone? Except for this woman, we haven't seen a soul in here. It is a work day isn't it?" Though they said nothing, Korra and Asami shared this feeling as well. Not only did they see no one else, they couldn't hear the typical sounds of office work either. The woman threw open a pair of doors that opened up to a large room that appeared to be some sort of gym or multipurpose room, "Please take a seat there and someone will be with you shortly."

The room was only dimly lit except for near the center where a large conference table had been set up. After they entered, the woman left and closed the doors behind her. As they more closely surveyed the space, they saw chairs and tables, crates, boxes and miscellaneous equipment stored here and there. "What is this?" commented Korra, "A storage locker?"

A thundering voice echoed through the hall, "Good guess Avatar Korra." Their eyes darted about the room trying to ascertain the direction of its source. As they focused on the end of the hall opposite where they entered, a tall, stocky man came into view, flanked by several others who were clothed in dark uniforms, faces obscured. The four of them quickly readied themselves for an eminent attack. "Now, now Ms. Sato, is this anyway to greet a fellow industrialist?" "Ean Dursh," said Asami, under her breath. Dursh was a middle aged man, in his early forties. He had the light-brown skin, typical of many of the earth nation people and long, dark brown hair, with part pulled back and tied up in a top knot. His face had sharp features with a chiseled jaw line, clean shaved. The dark uniform masked his body, but one could see that he was of a formidable build.  
The group in front of them continued to make a slow, deliberate approach to the four. "I didn't expect to have additional guests, but, no matter, they will be useful as well. You see it is our lovely Avatar here with which I truly have business." Hearing those words shot a cold shiver up Korra's spine. "But you see, I will have to ask you all to stay temporarily while we finish all our preparations." The man in front of them then shot his arm into the air. The four of them barely had a moment to react before glimmers of metal came flying from all directions of the darkness of the hall. Korra tried to disturb their trajectories with an air blast, but it was far too late to deflect except from a small direction. Several darts met their marks in all of them. All felt a drug-induced sleep quickly take them. Korra was the last to lose consciousness. Her last sight was of the man standing over her. He said, "You will pay me back for everything I lost, Avatar!" before passing out herself.

Avan woke up in, for lack of better description, a metal prison cell. There was only a single dim light in the ceiling, protected by a metal lattice, no windows and the door was solid metal save for two small access doors that he presumed were to look in on him or deliver food. He was stiff and sore, especially on his back and right arm and leg where he recalled being struck by the darts earlier. Whatever was used to knock him out left him with a poor sense of time as well; however, based on his stomach, he guessed only a couple hours at most. Metal shackles were snug around his ankles and wrists. He could feel that they were the source of his blocked bending. Pounding on the door, he shouted, "Korra, Kya, Asami, is anyone there?!" Silence was his only response. He slumped down into the corner of the room, trying to think of what he could do. Closing his eyes, he focused within himself, nearly in a state of meditation. Thoughts of Korra's training flashed through his mind. "Blood-bending on myself. I've never thought to try anything like that before." He looked at the shackles on his limbs. He thought, "Maybe I can still access it just a little." He closed his eyes once again and focused all his concentration on himself, trying to pick up the faintest signs of his own energy.

Korra was abruptly brought back to consciousness as pain shot through her left side. She screamed until the searing sensation subsided and she was able to focus on a man with a prod backing away from her. Shackles pinned her arms, legs and neck onto a gurney and most of her face was bound with some sort of mask, leaving her almost no mobility. Remnants of tears still slightly obscured her vision. She still felt groggy from the drug used to subdue them earlier.  
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, directed to no one in particular, her voice somewhat muffled by the mask.  
"Why Avatar, you are the reason we are doing this." The voice was the same as before.  
"Dursh," Korra spoke with contempt.  
"All those here feel you have a debt to pay. The cost of lives spent because of your inaction."  
"What? I don't understand," replied Korra, helplessly.

Dursh motioned at the man next to Korra. Another shot of pain flowed now through her right side. The sensation was as if she were punched in the side with fire; the pain spread over and within her body and felt like it lasted an eternity. She could not move to alleviate any of the sensation.

"Three years ago, Avatar Korra! Three years ago, you could have prevented so much pain, so much suffering, so much death!" The words vilely rolled off his tongue and with such contempt. "Sometimes we must pay a price for the choices we make. Everyone you see here paid a price for your choice and now you must repay that debt."  
Korra glanced around at the figures in the room. There were perhaps twenty people watching from behind Dursh. Korra pleaded, "Please I don't understand what this is all about!"  
"Kuvira, Zaofu." Dursh spoke the two words succinctly. Memories of Korra's encounter with Kuvira flooded back into her mind. She remembered her challenge to Kuvira that day, facing the bulk of her forces outside the limits of Zaofu. The battle, one on one, with Kuvira and her loss to the formidable woman.

Dursh's voice trembled slightly now as he spoke, "You could have ended that war right there. They would have...they would have..." He trailed off, caught up in emotion.  
"Her forces would have dissolved quickly without her leadership!" Another strong voice yelled from the side of the room. Korra strained to try and see its source, but couldn't turn her head enough. "On that day you could have used your powers to end that war, but you chose to leave Zaofu at the mercy of her army!" This new voice carried the sound of much more fury and conviction than Dursh. "Were the people of Zaofu not worthy of your protection, almighty Avatar?" he said mockingly. "Had we not sufficiently recognized your privileged place in this world? Perhaps we should have held greater celebrations in your honor or gifted you riches?" The man approached Korra and positioned his face mere centimeters from hers, nearly spitting on her as he yelled. As he spoke, he grabbed Korra's neck tightly to direct her vision to his own. She could see the rage in his eyes. "You abandoned the people of Zaofu that day and ran off to save your own skin!"  
"Jukan, control yourself." Dursh addressed the man as his superior. Jukan was fair skinned, especially for earth nation, younger than Dursh, but noticeably less built. He wore his dark hair short and sported a trimmed goatee. "Of course, sir," he responded as he drifted back from the direction he came.  
"Everyone you see here lost family and friends resisting Kuvira when she entered Zaofu. Some of us lost everyone." Dursh's eyes drifted down as he spoke these words. "It's time for you to pay up."  
Dursh motioned towards Jukan who took over, "You see Avatar, the best way to inflict pain upon one such as yourself isn't by attacking you. No, it's to go after the ones you care for most." He then came forward with captives in tow. She quickly recognized the silhouettes of her parents, Tonraq and Senna. "Of course, we also have your lovely Ms. Sato if these should not prove to be sufficient motivation." He motioned to another who forced Asami to kneel with Korra's parents. Their three pairs of eyes all held the same message, not of fear, but of apology and concern for the position that Korra was in, seeing them in this way. Korra's eyes brimmed with tears as she met theirs.

Avan could sense just the faintest spark within him. The blocks that were in use were effective, truly, but not complete. With a determined focus, he began to feel the flow of his own energy and its blockages. It was interesting to him that while the devices used blocked his chi, cutting off much of his bending, they simply cast a wide blanket. This explained the use on his arms and legs. He guessed that the design for them was driven purely by their effect without understanding what was truly going on inside a bender. Anyway, this left him an opportunity, slim paths for him to redirect his own chi. While this left him feeling unbalanced, he felt his bending returning; however, he was still trapped in this box. After several minutes past, Avan stood up with new resolve. He ran his hand along the metal door in front of him. "It would take hours, if not more, to gather enough sweat or spit to even begin putting a dent into this door," he spoke aloud, "It might just work if I..." He spat into his hand and clenched teeth. The sharp pain of the slice on his hand caused tears to well up in Avan's eyes. He tightened his fist and blood streamed down.  
He drew it up and first worked it into the shackles on his free arm. "This should be easier," he thought. It took some time to understand both how to interpret the feedback he was given and how to manipulate to achieve what he wanted. Unlike water, this was a living extension of himself and he could feel within the latch. After several minutes of trial and error, the shackle finally gave way and fell to the floor. The other three fell in succession more quickly as he became more adept and manipulating them. As he went on, he had to continue drawing from his wound. He found that after a few minutes, the blood became stale, for lack of a better description for it, and he would no longer be able to maintain fine control over it. He then went to work on the cell door lock. He bent in it between the door and frame and into the lock mechanism. This was more difficult since the only thing he had to go on was the feeling of where and how his blood was able to penetrate, something like thin tendrils extending from his hand. As he worked, he could hear small clicks of mechanisms being pushed and pulled, but this was much more complex than the simple latches on the shackles. Finally after what was probably tens of minutes, the lock emitted a noticeably louder 'clack'. He stopped and pushed slowly against the door as it gave way.  
Avan peered out into the hallway. It was dark, but appeared empty. He quickly tore a strip of cloth from his outer shirt and tightly bound up the wound on his hand. He surveyed himself and the cell to assess the damage. "Hopefully looks worse than it is," he said quietly. His clothes, but mostly the floor of the cell exhibited the evidence of his endeavor. He had used more of his blood than he had at first realized.

He walked down the corridor which appeared to be more like a prison than an office building. He was surprised not to find it so empty. Avan pushed his hands against the wall to use his earth sense to find out what or who was nearby. Whatever the construction was here, he was not able to sense very far, but there was another room occupied a short way down the hall that he sought to investigate. He tapped lightly on the door, "Kya?" "Avan?" the door questioned back. "Let me get you out of there." After working on the lock once again, he swung the door open to find Kya standing alone.  
"How did you get out?" asked Kya.  
"Well I picked the lock."  
"With what?" Avan held out his hand towards Kya who got the gist of it. "Are you alright?"  
"It's not that bad, but definitely not high on the list of good tactics I suppose. Do you have any idea how to get back to where we started?" Kya shook her head. "Let's not stick around here."  
They continued making their way down the hall. Avan tried to sense the others a few times, but still could not feel anything. After a few turns, they came across a restroom. "Locked," Avan declared. "Do you really need to go that badly?" Kya asked in jest.  
Avan completely missed the joke, "It's not for me, we need to get those shackles off you and we're going to need something to attack with..." Kya tussled Avan's hair, "I know silly." With a smile, Avan kicked the door hard, breaking the flimsy latch. They both bended what water they could manage to take with them. Without any pouches, all they could do was use the octopus method, a sure fire way to grab attention if they were seen. They continued searching the building to find the others.

"So Avatar, how does it feel to see your loved ones so helpless, right in front of you?" asked Dursh. Korra's face was wrought with guilt, grief and truly the feeling of helplessness. "Please don't harm them, they didn't do anything to you," she pleaded.  
"No and neither did you," he quickly responded with malice in his voice.  
Jukan pulled back his hand to strike Senna, but as his fist swung forward, Tonraq knocked her aside and took the blow for himself. This angered Jukan who unleashed some of his fury toward the Avatar on the older man. After several minutes, he finally left Tonraq curled up on the floor. He hadn't made a sound through the entire ordeal, but was visibly in distress. Senna snaked herself over to her husband's side to comfort him. Throughout all this, Korra was utterly frozen.  
"It's good you that you realize you position in this matter. You can do nothing except obey us, or we will take it out on them," said Dursh.  
Jukan took over, "If that is not enough motivation, we could of course use the same techniques as you already saw with your girlfriend here." Hearing such a threat pushed Korra's spirit to a new low. She replayed Asami's descriptions of how she was so broken over knowing what she was doing, but having no power to stop any of it. "Perhaps seeing your girlfriend here take away your own parents! That would be quite traumatic no wouldn't it. Would that be harder for you to see or Ms. Sato here to experience, I wonder?" Korra and Asami exchanged glances. The utter nonchalantness with which Jukan spoke such a threat was unfathomable to them and scared them like little they had before encountered. After a long silence, Korra turned her eyes to Dursh, "What is it you want, Dursh?"  
"The way we see it, there is only one thing you can do to make up your past wrongs to us. You will kill Kuvira."

* * *

AN: Slow to update... I have not had much time to spend on this unfortunately and what I had was rather broken. I will probably be wrapping this up in the next chapter. It may take a bit to put it together, but I **will** see this thing to completion.


	10. Resolution

Kuvira had been imprisoned under high-security since Korra thwarted her attack on Republic City. There were few people with any access to the facility, much less Kuvira herself. Korra still was not allowed to see her alone, though she had wished to be able to talk with her many times without the oversight and eaves-dropping of others. It had been some time since she had thought of her with everything going on and longer since she last spoke with her.

"You will kill Kuvira." The words echoed in Korra's mind; she was stunned at such an order. While she knew people had died on her account battling Amon, Unalaq, Zaheer and Kuvira, it was never in cold-blood. It went against everything she had been taught, everything she believed. Korra just stared back at their captors blankly.  
"If you are having difficulty deciding what do to, let us help you." Jukan gripped Senna tightly by her neck and nearly lifted her from the ground. They were all surprised at the amount of strength he had at his disposal. The sounds of Senna struggling to breathe was torment to all three. Korra, in tears, struggled to form the words, "Please stop!" As her strength began to wain, Jukan released her, allowing her to slump to the ground. "I'm disappointed, is that enough? You'll do what we want Avatar, or you will watch your friends live in torment."

Trying to absorb everything she had just witnessed, Korra finally broke her silence, "Even if I were to kill Kuvira as you say, what assurance do I have that you won't just hold everyone and try to use me as your slave?"  
Dursh spoke up, "We aren't offering any assurance; you simply don't have a choice."

* * *

Kya and Avan continued searching what seemed like an endless complex of corridors and rooms. They were wandering blindly through the building trying to figure out from where they had originally met their captors.

"This building must be huge! Are we dealing with vampires or something, why aren't there any windows anywhere? I'd even go for running into a couple of their guards, just for something!" Kya commented out of frustration.  
"Wait, you're right, that is odd!"  
"What?" Kya said, puzzled.  
"It is huge with no windows."

Avan formed the water he had been toting around into blades and left a path of destruction as he cut through the walls. Kya quickly followed suit as they cut their own path through the building until they met a solid wall of earth. "We're underground," Avan pointed out, "That's why this place seems so much larger inside, they must have constructed it deep into the earth. We only saw the small part above ground." He pulled back and hit the earthen wall with his open hands and stood silently for a moment, concentrating. "There is a large room not far above us. I can't tell if they are there, but judging by the size, I bet that's where we were captured."  
"Let's get up there, but we need to be careful, they have numbers and their chi-blocking weapons. Hopefully if we can free Korra and Asami, we can even the odds. I can only assume that since they don't appear to be holding them down here that they have something else in store for them."

It wasn't long before they found themselves in a room just under their intended destination. After bending a stone platform, Avan felt the ceiling again. "Korra and Asami are inside, but they aren't alone. There must be at least 20 or so people in there with them. It doesn't look good. What do we do?" Avan looked to Kya guidance.  
"Can you make a passage into the room?"  
"Sure."  
"Let's try to get in from an empty corner so we can get a handle on what's going on. Maybe we can take out some of them quietly and get the jump on others. Of course, if they are ready for us, we are going to end up worse off than we started." Avan nodded in agreement. They moved to an area just under what seemed to have been an empty corner of the room above and Avan carefully bent the earth from the ceiling, making a pile on the floor. When he felt that it was about the breach, he looked to Kya who understood and readied herself. He motioned to create a clean and quiet break in the material of the floor above and brought down the final segment. As they peered from their platform, they were in luck. No one was immediately near them and they were in one of the dimly lit corners that had given their attackers the advantage not long ago.  
As they tried to survey the hall, they saw the dire situation they were in. Korra was in the center, bound and surrounded by the Dursh character who had started all this and about five others. Asami was on the opposite side of the room on the ground with two others he didn't recognize. An older man who appeared to be in charge of them along with another group of six were watching over the three captives. The one thing they had going for them was that it appeared all of their captors were acutely focused on what was going on with Korra and their prisoners.  
"Those are Korra's parents with Asami," Kya explained. "What is it they are trying to do?" Kya's question was quickly answered when they saw the older man lift Senna by the neck and later drop her to the floor. They heard Korra's weak plea and began to realize the situation she was in. Then they heard Korra speaking, "Even if I were to kill Kuvira..." "Is that what this is all about, getting back at Kuvira?" Avan asked Kya.  
"I'm sure there is more to it. They know Korra's weak spot is her heart and they are probably trying to make her into their slave...and she might just be caring enough to do it." Kya's voice trailed off even below the whisper at the last comment. "The most powerful person on earth at their disposal, then whenever they want to cut her loose, she has no where to go since she would have become the most notorious criminal in history by that time as well," commented Avan.  
"If we can't get secure the three of them, I don't believe Korra will be able to do anything out of fear for their safety." Avan suggested, "Maybe we can start with the surrounding guards." There were about ten guards scattered through the dimmer areas of the hall, observing the proceedings, but on their own. "If you bend the water over their heads, they won't be able to scream out or breathe, then I can knock them out." They exchanged looks and quickly went to it. The plan worked perfectly. Kya ensnared each guard in turn in a bubble of water, then Avan launched a chunk of stone to quickly dispatch them, unconscious. They carefully moved through the shadows until they were left with the problem of how to help Korra and the others.

After exchanging more words, Jukan moved on to using Asami against Korra. He wanted nothing else but to completely break the Avatar and have her submit fully him. "I can do this all day Avatar. Do you think you can keep watching your precious loved ones be punished for something that would be such an easy task for you?" Asami tightened her neck and stayed silent, keeping her eyes fixed on Korra's. Without words, Korra knew that Asami did not want her to give in, no matter the cost. Asami felt her head beginning to lighten, the little breath she was able to maintain was becoming insufficient. Suddenly, she pulled her legs up, still bound, and pushed back against him. He released her from his grip and she flew back a bit onto the floor. She took in air deeply, trying to catch her breath. Jukan taunted, "What do you think you accomplished? You still have no where to go." He stepped toward her and pulled his leg back and kicked her hard in the ribs. Asami only let go a slight wince, angering him further. After assaulting her again, Dursh spoke up, "Stop. It is the Avatar we are after."

Dursh began to argue with Jukan over the actions he had taken, drawing the attention of the remaining captors as well. Kya and Avan saw this moment as probably their only chance to attack the group. Without the need to exchange words, they set their sights first on trying to secure Asami and Korra's parents. Avan bent the floor out from under three who were guarding the captives, dropping them to the floor below. Whips of water assaulted the remaining three guards. They were too close to Asami and the others to risk dropping the floor, but Avan was able to disrupt their footing to give Kya an opening to knock them back with her water whips, then Avan locked the hands and feet of each to the floor with stone shackles.  
Dursh, Jukan and the five others were a bit slow to comprehend what was happening, but as they realized they were being attacked, they identified Avan and Kya and moved on them. Once they joined the fray, Avan and Kya quickly found themselves more and more on the defensive. The attackers were well coordinated. They attacked as they could, but more and more had to concentrate on deflecting incoming projectiles. Dursh motioned to the others to spread out. Though still small in number, they were sufficient to effectively surround the two of them.  
The spread of the attack weakened Avan and Kya's ability to counter dramatically. He could feel the tide moving against them. The level of effort he had maintained with the blood he had sacrificed earlier to free them was taking its toll. They stayed near Asami and the others. Kya worked to free Asami and the others. Unfortunately, she found the three of them in not much shape to make a run for it. Hopelessness began to creep over them.

Dursh recognized their increasing desperation, "Just what do you think you can do? Are you going to carry the four of them out while defending against us? I suspect you wouldn't even know where to go!" He laughed at their comical situation. Things only turned worse when the three sent to the floor below emerged from a side door to join the fight.  
The water Kya had been carrying was slowly being depleted, reducing the reach of her attacks. Then, Avan saw Kya falter as one of their darts, then another, met her side and back. Avan saw her one remaining water whip lose form and fall to the ground. The cloaked figures recognized they held the upper hand and began to move in on them. Avan desperately sent projectiles in an attempt to drive them back from behind his defenses, but to no avail. Upon them now, the attackers circumvented his defense and as they seemed to whirl around him, he felt the sting of darts as they stabbed at him from multiple directions. While still in some control, he pushed his will outward against the attackers with everything he had left. It was an act of desperation, he knew it wouldn't be enough, but in that moment, he felt something familiar lurking within their veins.  
The few closest to him flew back and were slammed against the walls of the room. Those further back were only knocked to the ground. He fell, exhausted, with the room spinning above him. They were quickly upon him again and pummeled him into complete submission. He was just hanging onto consciousness and could barely feel the onslaught. Inside, he felt broken by the feeling that he was again unable to save his new family.

The attacks stopped. They regained control of their captives, now five in number. Jukan was standing over Korra with one of the prods. "You think you could come here and save these fools, the two of you! How arrogant!" At those words, he jammed the prod into Korra's side while staring at Avan. The searing pain returned and she could not help but scream. He stopped and approached Avan, "And isn't this a nice surprise as well. I think we can definitely find a use for your, unique, skills. I would never have expected a blood-bender to be working with the Avatar. You may be even more useful than she. If you care anything for the lives of these other five, you will do as I say." He then gave him a taste of prod into his side. Everything began to melt into a blur.

Still in pain herself, Korra gathered her strength and stood up facing Jukan. She spoke with a new resolve, "No matter what you do, I will not become your slave. Kuvira is paying for her crimes and trying to move on. I had to make decisions that affected many people and I have learned that I must accept them and their consequences." Korra's eyes scanned her friends and family. They returned looks of both assurance and acceptance. They knew what her defiance may mean for them, but, like Korra, were willing to accept it. Defiantly, Korra declared, "I will not become your slave to waste away my own soul and what the Avatar represents."

Jukan's hatred took on a renewed depth. He lashed out at his captives, striking them and using his pain prod on them. Their screams only seemed to ignite more hatred for them. "How much can you really take Avatar!?' he screamed. Korra looked at them all with tears in her eyes. She knew why she could not acquiesce to him, but it did not dissuade the guilt she felt over being the cause of their suffering. Dursh was troubled at the level to which his colleague had fallen, swallowed and was compelled to speak up. "Jukan, get a hold of yourself!" He grabbed his arm and, to his surprise, Jukan slammed him to the ground, then turned on him as well. Stepping back, he spoke with a tone of disgust, "You have lost your conviction. Ean, it is our duty."  
Those words clearly focused Korra's memory. "You. You were the one there the night Asami attacked me." Jukan stopped his assault and turned to the Avatar. "I remember those words; you used them to trigger Asami. It's been you behind all of this hasn't it?" The man turned and gave Korra the most wicked of smiles. "And what of it Avatar? You said yourself that you must accept the consequences of your actions. I am here to deliver them to you for what you did those years ago. I will destroy everything you hold dear!"

Avan was finally able to put all the pieces together. The initial attack, the milky substance Kya had extracted from Asami, the words this Jukan used to subdue Dursh and the flash of feeling he received when he had blood-bended the whole group. He was weak, spent. "Perhaps there's a chance...," he thought. As Jukan continued on his rant, Avan focused on Korra. As when he was trapped in the cell, he focused on himself, pooling together every drop of strength he could muster. He tried to make a connection with Korra like what had happened on the airship, though he wasn't even sure himself what he was doing. At first, nothing, but in a moment, he felt a spark of something. Korra's eyes darted to Avan, she too felt it, though still unsure of what he was trying. Though her bending was still being blocked by the shackles, she did her best to concentrate and remember the brief training with him to pull on the thin threads of energy Avan was projecting. The hall, the people and even the pain were slowly pushed away, into the background. She could feel a faint and familiar presence...Avatar Kuruk. He spoke no words, but Korra felt this presence reach out for her, for her mind. In what seemed to be an instant, Korra gained an understanding about what Avan had learned of their attackers when he had attacked them. She also experienced a flood of memory snapshots, just flashes of images. Some were more recent, coated with a feeling of warmth, she saw Avan escaping from below and freeing Kya, times spent sparring and Avan at the Air Temple. Others reached back further, shrouded in darkness, pain, time on the streets, the night Avan's family was lost. Further still, memories from different perspectives, from lives completely unknown to her. "Kuruk's spirit must have continued to move on from person to person even after I lost my connection," Korra thought. "No, it is deeper than this, can a spirit extend beyond just a single person? This would explain Avan's surprising ability to take up waterbending..." While curious of all of this, Korra's mind suddenly regained its grip and pulled her back to the room in which they were trapped. She was a bit disoriented since the thoughts she experienced seemed to have extended out for hours, but clearly only seconds had past at most.

Korra surveyed the hall to see her friends and family, the attackers still waiting for orders, surrounding them, Dursh on the floor and Jukan continuing his rant at her. "Do you understand your situation?!" he yelled to Korra. Having no idea what he had been speaking about and no longer caring, she answered, "I understand exactly what I have to do."  
White light erupted from Korra's eyes, seemingly illuminating the entire room. She burned through the straps that had been holding her still. Their captors, Jukan included, were frozen in shock. They had thought that blocking her bending would prevent her Avatar state as well, but with no way to test it, they found their assumptions to be quite incorrect. Jukan ordered an attack, but weapons and people alike were quickly captured in swirling air around Korra and tossed harmlessly aside. All were a bit surprised, when she stayed her ground. Instead of lashing out at the attackers, she began to move her arms, waterbending.  
Dursh and the attackers all around them went stiff and appeared to seize as they turned their faces upward, with mouths gaping open. As Korra moved her arms, a misty cloud started to gather being fed from all of them. She collected it together to form a floating puddle of the milky liquid which Kya and Avan recognized as what they had previously removed from Asami. Moments later, Korra's state returned to normal. Dursh and the others dropped to floor, now bewildered. Korra, injured and still partially drugged, fell to her knees.

"What have I been doing?" questioned Dursh, rubbing his eyes. "I feel like my mind has been in a fog." The other attackers looked around, just as confused. Jukan scanned the hall, the terror of losing control over the situation sunk in. As he tried to run, Asami stood and grabbed the metal prod from his hands. She wheeled back and struck him across the head, hard enough to destroy it and knock him out in the process. She stood over him for just a moment, satisfied with the result before making her way to Korra, clutching her sides. Senna helped Tonraq up to a seated position. Kya tended to herself and Avan as best she could. The group was in dire straits, but alive and no longer in danger.

* * *

They followed Dursh back up and outside, though with some apprehension. Those who were previously attackers came to aid the group who were all injured and battered. Dursh ordered the compound closed for the day, keeping only a skeletal staff and medical team who tended to everyone's wounds. He spoke little about what had happened. Jukan was bound and silenced and moved to a secure room on Asami's airship under guard for transport back to Republic City.

Much to Korra's surprise, Asami quickly came to the defense of Dursh and the others. Korra had described how Jukan was the only one that was not tainted with the drug that had been used on Asami. Asami knew what it had been like to be influenced by it and so there was no one better to understand what they had gone through and to explain it to others. Dursh addressed Asami formally, "Ms. Sato, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for all that has happened. I swear to you that I will launch a full investigation to get to the bottom of how all of this unfolded." He then turned to Korra, "Avatar Korra, I will leave myself in your hands and the Republic City police to answer for what has happened." Korra sat for a minute and thought, "Figuring out what happened will be the first thing, and I think you will need to be here to do that." She then cracked her first smile in some time, "As for charges, if I were to charge you, given all that has happened, I would have to charge CEO Sami here of attempted murder too then, right?" Asami gave Korra a small look of concern before they both laughed, clutching their sides as they were reminded of the pain of their ordeal.

They remained a couple days and PEM in the company of Dursh. Though a bit tentative at first,any malice between them soon dissolved. Most of those involved had in fact lost family and close friends to Kuvira's forces and Korra took time to listen to their stories. It was this connection that Jukan had targeted to make them easier to influence and manipulate. Though they had done what Jukan was unable; accept their losses and move on with their lives, many realized that Korra's actions were greater than that one day.

Korra also took advantage of the recuperation days to catch up with her parents and explain to them everything that had gone on from the first attacks to how they were pulled into the whole mess. Asami was grateful for both of them for their reassurance and concern surrounding her own involvement in attacking Korra. It also gave them an opportunity to see how all these events brought their daughter so much closer to Asami as well. They were happy for both of them.

* * *

On the way back to Air Temple Island, Kya found Avan staring out again from the observation deck at a setting sun. "Why is it you like staring out at the horizon so much?" she asked. "I don't know. I guess after spending most of my life buried in the lower rings of the Earth kingdom, the idea of the seeing this wide open skyline and the sun dipping into the horizon has really captured me." Kya chuckled a bit. "What's so funny?"  
"After everything that has happened to those around us, everything you've learned and shared with all of us, you still end up here by yourself looking out at the sky." She paused a few moments. "Have you thought about what you are going to do after we get back?"  
"Well, I hope that I could continue working with you in the healing hut, if you'll have me. I also hope that all this other business will help drive the whole blood-bending thing out of people's minds."  
"You shouldn't worry about that. Just like Korra, you should try to stick to your own convictions as best you can and deal with the fallout later... That seems to work okay for her anyway."  
"Oh yeah, seems to work out great right! Says the two of us returning home after being captured, bled, shocked and beaten!"  
"...And stabbed, don't forget stabbed."  
"Besides, those who can't look at your life and see you for the good you've done don't deserve your concern anyway," Kya added.

Kya then turned to face Avan with a serious expression on her face. "Avan, I have been thinking about something for some time, and I think now is as good a time as any to ask you about it. I know you lost your family, but I hope that you have come to think of Korra, Asami, Tenzin, Pema, myself, and all of us, as your new family. I also know that you are an adult now, and you may not think about such things anymore, so I hope this doesn't sound strange, but... what would you think of being adopted...by me?" Kya stared at Avan for a moment to try and ascertain his reaction to the idea, a bit embarrassed.  
"I mean, not a lot would change really. It's not like you'd have a curfew or anything. It's just, I've come to think of you as my family and after everything that has happened, I just thought. I thought that making things official would mean that if anything ever happened to you...or me, we would have all the rights of a real family. I mean, maybe it's a stupid idea..." Kya trailed off.  
"It's not a stupid idea...and it would change things." He grasped Kya in a big bear hug, "It means more to me than I could tell you that you have even thought about this. I mean, are you sure you are okay with it...knowing what I am?"  
"I am absolutely sure that I am okay with it, especially knowing who you are!"  
Avan waited just a moment before speaking. "I think it's a great idea, mom."

End

* * *

AN: So I am going to call that a wrap for this story. As I mentioned at the start, this was my first try at writing a story and I definitely recognize some short-comings, but I also don't think it went too badly. One thing is for certain, the next time I set out to write something like this, I put together an outline first. I tried writing just as I had time and as things came to me and leaving me stuck on multiple occasions. I think it would have also helped me to not end up with as many dangling plot pieces too. I fully admit that I am guilty of introducing characters and ideas that ended up kind of going nowhere. By the time I was trying to close things up, I just didn't really have a place for them either. We all have to learn somehow right?  
Though it does give me some open options to extend what I started...

Sorry these last two chapters took so long to get out, I just couldn't get together time recently to really knock them out. Thanks to everyone that took the time to read too!

darkmonkey99: You're clairvoyant or something, I had the "mom" idea written for quite some time, but you called it.


	11. Letters, Letters

AN: Okay, hopefully I don't screw up FanFiction's system or rules by going back to "in-progress". When I last left it, I admit I didn't really have any real intention to continue, but after not thinking about it at all for a while, I had the urge to restart writing, taking up sort of where I left off. While I thought about starting a new story entirely, in the end it seemed to make more sense to just reopen the story; it sort of requires the reader to have read the first ten chapters anyway or else you don't know anything about how we got where we are.

Consider up through "Chapter 10: Resolution" the conclusion of Avan's main intro arc, at least where I had originally thought to go. The bits from here on out will continue from there to some extent or another. At least the first few items I have in mind fall more under "slice of life" type chapters instead of building up to some deep plot (maybe?)

In the end, I just wanted to have some more fun with the characters in my head and live a bit longer in the Avatar universe. After a break, I began to miss creating my own narrative in this world. I will see where I end up and I hope some of you will enjoy the journey as well. The only warning is that updates will be more sporadic than the first ten chapters, I just don't have nearly as much time available as I would like. I really envy those with the freedom to really work on stories (or am deeply impressed at their ability to generate and type stories so quickly.)

* * *

It had been several months since Jukan's plan had been fully revealed to the Avatar and the group had undergone the ordeal in the Earth kingdom. Most of the wounds, both physical and emotional have had time to heal. Things were getting back to normal, just another chapter of history surrounding Avatar Korra and her friends.

While the world had been at relative peace since Kuvira's attack on Republic City, smaller scale skirmishes still broke out. Most were related to localized groups in the Earth kingdom still vying for power and land, but there were also still criminal groups in Republic City trying to take advantage during the rebuilding. Whatever the source, while Kya and Avan had more free time now than ever before, it was still rare for them to go more than a day or two without having at least one patient in their care. The Republic City hospital system was able to handle most healing cases either through the use of more modern medicine or through the employ of water-benders, the skilled of which were quite rare. The worst cases from across the nations were still brought to Air Temple Island for the best care available.

Kya had been known for some time as one of the leading healers in the world, and, despite his young age, Avan's renown quickly grew as well. Although there was still a small, and occasionally vocal, segment of the people that protested due to his now public blood-bending abilities, over time, this had waned as they could find little over which to stir up any controversy. Master Katara was still considered the pinnacle among healers, but she had recognized her own age and was now mostly retired seeing only the occasional patient. Katara herself said on several occasions that her daughter had in fact surpassed her own abilities when it came to healing, but Kya never truly accepted the assessment.

They currently had only a single Fire nation soldier in their care. He had been part of the joint forces in the Earth kingdom that were supporting the new government to train their own forces and keep order until they could transition to being more self-sufficient. A building collapse had trapped several workers and while in the process of rescuing the workers, he had been crushed by a secondary collapse and was quickly transported to the island due to the massive internal injuries he suffered.

"Avan? Can you bring another jar of the anti-scarring cream? This one is out." Kya announced from one of the healing rooms on Air Temple island. As Avan approached, she held out the empty glass jar and Avan took it and exchanged it for an identical one.

"How is he doing?" Avan asked.

"He should recover quite well over the next few days, and hopefully this will minimize the affect on his appearance. All the rubble really did a number on him." Kya spoke as she started to rub the light green cream into the many small cuts and scrapes that still littered the man's face and arms.

"Cuts to the face are always so much more difficult to heal without scarring," Avan commented, thinking about how they could modify their techniques to improve such damage. Kya nodded in agreement while Avan sat down opposite and quietly began working as well.

"Kya, we've received some serious news," a stern voice spoke out from beyond the healing room doorway. Kya stirred a bit, somewhat startled after being in a state of concentration for some time.

"Tenzin?! Why do you insist on trying to catch me off guard when we are in the middle of a healing session?" Kya scolded.

Tenzin stepped into the room followed by Pema, Bumi, Lin, Korra and Asami. They all held serious expressions on their faces sparking concern in the two healers. Kya and Avan stopped their work glancing at each of them in turn. Kya felt tense and she could feel the hairs tensing up along her neck.

"Oh spirits, what happened? Please don't tell me another war has broken out! There has been so much fighting the past few years and things had just started to settle down." Kya spoke with deep concern in her voice. The group didn't respond in any way.

"Kya, it may be best if you read this yourself," Tenzin spoke solemnly as he held a letter out to Kya.

Avan moved next to Kya and rested his hand on her shoulder as she reached out for Tenzin's offering. As she took it, she stared into her brothers' eyes, searching for answers, but only received bleak looks in return.

"Is it mom?" Kya questioned.

Bumi turned away; no one spoke. It felt as if the weight of Avan's hand on her shoulder suddenly increased a hundred fold as she took the folded note from Tenzin.

"Please tell me, has something happened to mom?!" Kya pleaded.

She felt time slow as it does in times of great importance. The folds of the thick, white paper seemed to resist Kya's urging to open. She could feel their stares as her eyes scanned down to the contrasting black script.

* * *

_After investigation of evidence presented, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed by the Court:_

_That from the date of entry of this Decree herein that Avan of the Earth Kingdom is declared adopted for life by Kya of the Southern Water Tribe._

_That this Decree of Adoption effects substitution of families for all legal purposes and establishes the relationship of parent and child, together with all the rights, responsibilities, and duties, between the parent(s) and the individual being adopted._

_That from the date of this Decree of Adoption, the adoptee is entitled to inherit real and personal property by, through and from the adoptive parent(s) in accordance with all applicable statutes and has the same legal status, including all legal rights and obligations of any kind whatsoever, as a child born the legitimate child of the adoptive parent(s)._

_Signed ..._

* * *

Kya looked up slowly as her mind was still processing the words she had read. She moved to Tenzin and half-heartedly pounded his chest with her fists. As she and Avan surveyed the group, smiles began to crack through their false facades. Bumi turned back around and broke out laughing with tears in his eyes, unable to keep up the farce any longer.

Avan still unsure, spoke up, "Kya, what is it, what's happened?"

Kya turned to Avan, grabbed his hand, and placed the letter into it and waited for just a few moments while he quickly read to himself. When he looked up, his glassy eyes pulled the tears from Kya's as she threw her arms around her son, now official.

Tenzin spoke, "You two will...no, you two make a wonderful family. I'm so very happy for both of you."  
"We all are," Pema added as the kids all poured in from just outside the room.  
"Congratulations!" all the kids shouted in unison.

Kya put her finger to her lips, "Shhh," pointing to the soldier still asleep in the healing room, "Let's move outside."

"Bumi, I can't believe you were able to hold the rouse together," Kya commented.

"I couldn't, if I hadn't turned away when did, I would cracked up right in your face!" he responded, laughing. "You should have seen the serious face you had!"

"I can't believe you guys did that. The first thing I could think of that would have put you all together like that was mom! How could you lead me on like that!" Kya scolded weakly.

"It was Lin's idea," outed Bumi. Lin gave Kya her most innocent face, shrugging her shoulders as wide smile broke across her lips.

"Lin, how could you!"

"Kya, how couldn't I!?" Lin responds with a smile.

"Congratulations you two!" offered Korra and Asami, chuckling. Asami continued, "This calls for a celebration if anything does! Let's get everyone together for dinner tonight, my treat, at the Platypus Bear Bistro, if that is okay with everyone." Asami glanced around to eager nods. "Alright, I'll go make some calls to make arrangements." She grabbed Korra's hand and pulled her to close. "I'll need your help with this," Asami whispered into Korra's ear, sending shivers down her spine and a smile to her lips as they walked off.

"You guys are the greatest!" Kya announced.

"Thank you everyone!" Avan said with tears now running down his cheeks. "It wasn't long ago I had no one in my life, but whether official or not, even with everything that has happened, you have all made me feel like such a part of your family... I don't know what to say...but...thank you, sincerely."

The group spent some time to share some of their memories of Avan and Kya, both happy and painful ones. They all felt that this moment had been a long time in coming. Avan felt he had gained so much from the group, but they too thought that his addition had gone far to strengthen their spirits as well. Tenzin and family and Bumi eventually filtered away leaving Lin, Kya and Avan standing outside the healing rooms.

"I'm going to go back in and check on our patient," Avan says as he heads inside the healing area. Before disappearing inside, "Kya, thank you. I know we already have talked about this, but even though this may not change much about our relationship day to day, it really means a lot to me knowing that we are *really* family now."

"You guys have been through quite a lot in a short time. I think you'll take good care of one another," Lin states.

"Well I think we both have to thank a certain guardian angel, don't we. After all, if not for you, we would never have found him. He might still be wandering the streets for all we know, or worse. It is strange the path on which fate can take one's life," mused Kya.

"I have to be honest, I was and am still surprised at just how well you two work together. Don't you guys fight or disagree about anything?"

"Well, sure we have disagreements about the course of treatments every now and then, but, yeah, it has been really smooth. I can't remember when work has felt so little like work. I think just having someone there to not only share the responsibility, but also collaborate with, who really understands healing has been eye-opening. I think we have both found new courses of treatment here that we could never have done individually!" Kya decided to reign in her excitement just a bit. "Nothing goes smoothly one-hundred percent of the time, you just have to work through it." She could feel their conversation taking a turn.

"We're still talking about you and Avan right?"

"Lin...you know that you are part of our family here too, right?"

The usually stern woman turned away slightly and stumbled for words. "Yes, well...thank you. I should get back to the station, paperwork and all if I am going to be free for dinner tonight. No way am I going to miss a free night at the Platypus..."

Kya made a motion for the metal bender's hand as she turned to leave, but held herself back in the end. "We'll see you tonight then Lin." She responded with a wave as she slowly made her way back to the docks. "She's so strong, but I wish I could make her realize she has a place here," Kya thought before exhaling quietly and turning back to rejoin Avan. Avan carefully pulled the wooden door to healing room closed as Kya left her hand floating in the air for a few moments.

* * *

Later in the afternoon...

Avan headed back to his room on Air Temple Island. Even knowing that he was at a permanent resident, the room still remained sparse and little changed from the standard air acolyte setting in which he received it. He sat down at the small, wooden desk built into the corner where he had spent countless hours since the ordeal in the Earth kingdom. He opened a deep drawer under the desk and removed a thick stack made up of different sizes, shapes and colors of well worn paper. Like many times before, Avan thumbed through the stack, picking up on words and passages here and there before settling in with pen in hand.

Ziara had stayed prominently in Avan's mind since their meeting in the Fire Nation. They had barely spent twenty four hours with one another, but she had made an impression on him. The affection had apparently not been one-sided either as, upon returning to the Air Temple after dealing with Jukan, there was already letter waiting for him. Kya, Korra and Asami made a point of getting in some friendly teasing for the first week or so, but after a few letters every week became such a routine, they all quickly let it go.

_Dear Ziara,_

_I just sent a letter yesterday, but I could hardly wait to get a break to write again. We just received the notice today that we have been waiting for! We are officially a family! The adoption decree came in today! In some ways it almost seems silly since for all intents and purposes I am an adult of course. To be honest, I didn't think it was such a big deal until it came in today. When I was reading the letter and announcing the decision, it affected me much more than I thought it would._

_Kya and I have been working together and spending time getting to understand one another better. I had really begun to think of her as my mom quite a while ago. Still, for some reason, having this official, legal stamp on it for some reason ended up really making it feel different than before. Kya was moved to tears when it came too which meant a lot to me. I have a mom again!_

_Of course, everyone here couldn't make it simple. They put together this whole rouse that freaked Kya out into thinking something bad had happened. I have to hand it to them, they held their ground! They had her scared, and she jumped to the conclusion that it was family related and must have been her mom (not really funny at the time of course.) It was worth a good laugh though, I can't blame them. Some times, but especially in the middle of work, Kya and I do get pretty serious. They probably just wanted to break us out of that...quickly. It worked._

_I can't lie though, all this did bring back quite a few memories of my mom and sister. For one of the first times though, I wasn't so fixated on the events that tore us apart. It mainly brought up the good times that we had together. I think that Kya and I will have many of those to share in the coming years._

_I hope we will finally be able to see one another again later this month. With both of us busy with work, it just becomes difficult to make the trip one way or the other or get on the same schedule._

_I am going to be getting ready for a night out here with everyone. Asami is setting up something at some restaurant for Kya and I. I hope it is low key, but seriously, given it is Korra and Asami and everyone else, it is hard to say what to expect, except it will probably be loud and wild. I'll follow up later to let you know how it went._

Avan paused at the closing of the short letter like he has for the nearly the last month when closing out correspondence with Ziara. "Is it too forward to sign it 'Love'?" he ponders again. "It's just a word...if she were just a regular friend I wouldn't even think about it, right? We haven't been able to really talk, but it feels like we are so close through our letters. I wonder if she thinks about the same thing... I'm probably making this way more complicated than I have to." He leans back in his chair and takes a few deep breaths before taking up his pen.

_Love,_  
_Avan_

Avan tosses the pen at the back of the desktop, folds the letter and seals it in an envelope before he has the chance to second guess anything. After a few moments, his chest actually feels lighter. "I've been stupid. I've been given another shot to start my life and I don't want to let it pass me by," he thinks. It had been an early morning and he knew it would be a late night, so he crawled onto his bed and quickly drifted off for a nap.

* * *

Several months ago, returning from the Jukan's assault at PEM headquarters...

While a bit battered, the group was in surprising condition considering all they had gone through, much of the credit due to Kya and Avan. Tonraq and Senna decided to stay with everyone to recuperate fully and visit the Air Temple; it had been some time. Tenzin and family had warm greetings for the entire group once they landed and most of the afternoon and into the late evening was spent recounting what had happened and sharing older stories to lighten the mood over plentiful food and drink. The sun had barely set and most of the group was already at least tipsy, if not out right drunk. It was what they all needed to remove the ordeal that Jukan had inflicted from their minds, even if just for the night. Tonraq and Senna, unexpectedly, took the lead in the evening and seemed to hold back few embarrassing stories of Korra growing up in the Southern Water Tribe. Many laughs were had at her expense by everyone, Asami probably more than anyone else. The change in how close they stayed throughout the entire evening was not lost on anyone, even in their inebriated states. At some point in the evening Kya slipped out to the docks.

Kya found a dark figure walking along the water's edge. "How long have you been out here? I didn't notice you leave," Kya asked.

"Well I didn't try to announce it and it goes with the job to sometimes stay unnoticed. Besides, since when do I need to notify others of everywhere I go?" she sniped back.

"Lin, why are you acting this way? Are you drunk?"

"No! Yes...well maybe a little, but that isn't the point. Why didn't you tell us, tell me, what was happening out there? Korra, Asami, you...you're all so pig-headed thinking you can just run into any situation and handle it on your own! Do you even realize how close you were to...," she trailed off.

"Lin, we didn't mean to keep others out of the loop. We didn't want to run off on our own. Things just developed quickly, we didn't have time to think..."

"No you didn't! I could have told you that you were just walking into a trap there. I could probably have sent a junior detective with you who would have realized that before you almost handed the Avatar as a slave and gotten yourselves killed." After a breath, "Sometimes when decisions are made, it can make people feel like they are always on the outside."

The two women stood in silence for a few moments. Their relationship had always been...complicated and not well defined. Lin was always so logical about things and, though she always held such a stoic, hardened exterior, Kya knew just underneath lurked a strongly emotional personality that was sometimes just barely held in check. Add to that a deep passion that they both held about their ideals, sometimes at odds, and work and it paved a difficult path. In spite of any outward disagreements, however, they held each other with the utmost respect.

"Lin, I'm sorry things ended up the way they did, but we aren't kids. Both of us have duties that can sometimes end up with being in the face of danger. There is nothing we can do about it! Why does this always end up with putting distance between us?" Kya appealed.

"Kya, I don't know, I just don't know. The possibility of losing a friend, of which I truly have so few...if there was anything I could do to prevent it. I would rather it be me."

"How would it be fair for everyone else to lose you!? There are many people that care deeply for you as well Lin. I don't know why you can't see that more clearly for yourself...," Kya trailed off.

"I'm sorry. I'm glad you are safe." With that, Lin launched herself onto the Republic City cruiser from the docks, cut the mooring lines and pulled away. As she departed, Kya thought she could see a shimmer to her face. "Was Lin crying?" she thought.

* * *

It was still the early evening when Avan woke up. He rummaged through a rather meager selection of outfits, most of which Kya had insisted he get so that he had at least a few things that were not the air acolyte outfits that he received when first arriving at the island. After a few outings into the city, he had collected a few Earth kingdom toned outfits, falling back to what he knew. Tonight, he wore a sea green, long sleeve shirt with a coordinating, light weight jacket several shades darker that closed across his chest at an angle, trimmed with tan cloth. He grabbed the matching two-toned slacks and a pair of dark brown, leather shoes before tying on his mother's green sash, which he wore with almost everything regardless of it matching, and tucking the now two hairpins. Avan was a creature of habit and he nearly always kept these few personal mementos without care for what some people may think about a young man carrying them.

Avan made his way to the healing room where their one patient currently resided. He was scheduled to meet a transporter to transfer the patient back to the mainland hospital before the evening since he was now fully stable and was surprised to see Kya there and the patient already gone.

"I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you were going to get some rest before tonight too," Avan said, surprising Kya a bit who had been lost in thought.

"Hmmm? Oh, Avan, I didn't notice you come in. I stuck around here to clean up a few things and the gentlemen from the hospital came a bit early so I went ahead released our patient to them."

Avan looked around and had difficulty picking out exactly what, if any, cleaning up might have been done since he left earlier in the day. He deposited some of used bandages and clothes into a bin for wash and collected the salves and medicine that were left out next to the now empty bed for re-shelving or refilling. As he started to remove the sheets from the bed where the patient one laid, Avan instead sat down in front of Kya, catching her gaze.

Kya was pulled back into the present with Avan sitting directly in front of her and looking right at her. "Do you want to talk about anything?" Avan asked.

After a pause, she shortly responded, "No, I'm okay." To which Avan gave a slight grimace.

"Kya...mom, we've been working together for quite some time now, we're adults, and we're family. This isn't a one way street, and I know that you know that kind of a response isn't enought to get me to go away." Avan now paused a moment, "I overheard you talking with Lin." Kya looked up at Avan at this with some concern. She opened her mouth, but her voice failed her at that moment. "I know that things have been a bit weird between you since we got back from the Earth kingdom, and I know that it isn't really my business, but I don't see you talking with anyone else, so...I just want to make sure that you know that this family thing...," Avan gestures between the two of them, "...this family thing goes both ways if you ever need to talk or vent or whatever."

Kya slowly met Avan's eyes and a smile grew on her face, "Thank you, I know all of that. I know you are an adult, but sometimes part of me wanted to really think as a mom to keep you away from my own problems. I just need to realize that this isn't how this family is probably going to work." She chuckled a bit, "Did I just adopt a counselor?" Avan shared in the smile and lighter mood.

"The issue with Lin is really all the same I guess. We are both adults, pretty set along our own paths, but we still harbor this bond with one another that we have never quite worked out. It isn't all her fault either. It somehow seems that whenever one of us want to bring it up and really figure out what is between us, something comes up; saving the city, the Air nation, Earth kingdom, the Avatar, you know all these little things seem to keep getting in the way." They both launch into light laughter at the lofty laundry list.

"Our history goes back to well before she and Tenzin brought you back here. They used to date you know."

"Wait, Tenzin...and Lin? I can't see it."

"Well, it was quite a while ago, they were different then, but they had different goals like many do, and there was Pema."

"Pema?"

"She sorta stole him away from Lin."

"Pema!? How is she still alive?"

Kya laughed at the comment. "Tenzin and Lin knew how things were going before Pema really came along; they just didn't want to admit it..." Kya trailed off, "...they just didn't want to admit it."

Avan saw what was going through Kya's mind and grabbed her hands, "Don't let the past dictate your path now; I don't think this is the same." She regained her smile.

"We always seem to have a recurring problem with, I think, wanting to be more of a part of each other's lives, but then still acting too independently, pushing and pulling on one another. I guess that can happen with two hard headed people huh?"

"What, you hard-headed? Noo...," Avan jested. "I don't want to pry, but maybe tonight would be a good opportunity for the two of you to talk, at least neither of you will have an excuse to have to run off and save anything. I've seen the two of you have such good times and I hope that you can both have that all the time. Like you said, we are all part of the same family."

Kya's eyes widened. "We are..."

Avan took on a look of some concern, "What is it?"

"Spirits, how could I have been so stupid?! And how have we been dancing around this for months without talking about it?!" Kya had stood up and was pacing a bit in the room. "That's just like her to put her friends first at the expense of her own feelings! ...and just like me to miss it entirely..."

Avan was a bit puzzled at this point. "What happened?"

Kya smiled back at him, "You." Avan was a bit taken aback and not sure how to take the feeling of the accusation. "No, I mean, it isn't your fault. It's just what happened. I am the one that didn't think about how it affected her!" After a bit more of talking to herself and mumbling, Kya finally settled down and sat back across from Avan. "We became a family, and I don't just mean in the legal sense. We had been working here together, getting to know one another and really becoming a family, but Lin was never part of that. I just didn't see it and she of course can't be expected to try an but into it. Then, after the thing in the Earth kingdom, I come back and tell her that we are going to try to become a "real" family and again I never brought her into it. I left her on the outside of all of this without even thinking! How can I be so stupid!? It's no wonder it has felt so awkward between us! What am I going to do? How can I fix this!?" Kya was quickly becoming more agitated at the thought of the situation in which she had put Lin.

Avan finally acted and hugged the frantic woman. "Mom, you will work it out. Do what both of you should have been doing and talk to one another tonight. Don't wait, do it now. She obviously still cares tremendously for you, nothing is broken. Would someone who has given up bothered putting together the joke on you with the paperwork this afternoon?"

After a few moments, Kya relaxed a bit. "You're right."

"I know."

Kya gave Avan a light smack on the back of the head. "Don't make me scold you young man," she spoke with a laugh in her voice. "I can't forget who the parent is supposed to be here!" Avan gave her a smug nod at which they both shared a laugh. Realizing she hadn't done anything all afternoon, Kya excused herself to get ready for the evening. The sun was already setting, and they would all have to get ready to leave soon.


	12. Celebration

By the time Kya and Avan made their way to the docks, everyone else had already gathered. It was a spectacular night, cool, clear and with a light breeze. The light waves on the bay could be seen all the way across to Republic City. There was a yacht docked that was obviously out of place among the rest of the simplicity of Air Temple Island, clearly marked with the Future Industries logo and Asami's signature color scheme. Tenzin and Pema were still discussing how Asami went through too much trouble for them.

Kya spoke up, "Who says we don't deserve some luxury over here every now and then! You two should stop discussing it and just get on board and enjoy yourselves!" She quickly pointed towards the kids who had obviously already taken it upon themselves to investigate every nook and cranny of the spacious craft. They all heard Meelo yelling, "Look out below!" as a barrage of water balloons flew over the side, threatening the four of them. Kya and Avan made quick work of them, water-bending the balloons right back where the came from. "No fair bringing water-benders to a water balloon fight!" Meelo yelled form out of sight.

While Tenzin had chosen to wear his typical, though formal style, air-bender robes, both Kya and Avan were surprised to see Pema in what Kya assessed to be a gorgeous outfit in the typical Air Nation colors. It was made up of a form-fitting, sleeveless dress of deep orange with a flowing, long-sleeve second layer in deep red with gold trim that was fitted around the chest, shoulders and upper arms, but opened up widely as it flowed to the wrists and ankles. Though hidden, much a testament to Pema's practicality, she still wore simple, comfortable sandals on her feet and had her hair tied back into a classic tail. Kya couldn't help but comment, "Pema, you look spectacular tonight! I have to be honest, I didn't know you had this kind of style!"

Pema responded, "Well, with all of this going on," she motioned to the kids already on-board and Tenzin as well, "it's hard to ever get a chance to dress up, but I'm glad I still got it." She had such a proud and honest smile about her. "Kya you look lovely tonight as well." Kya had decided on a more simple, dark blue sleeveless dress that was trimmed in white and gold with matching water nation arm bands.

Tenzin motioned towards the ramp to Pema, "Shall we?"

"I can't remember when we last all had a real night out," Pema commented, "I say we make the most of it!"

Avan was a bit surprised, "Pema, I never took you for a night out on the town kind of person."

She sighed, "With four kids, maybe six if you count Korra and Tenzin, you can't really ever be a 'night out on the town' kind of person." Air quotes included. They all, except Tenzin, shared a laugh.

On board, they were greeted with all manner of hors d'oeuvre with both vegetarian and meat options to meet everyone's needs and a fully stocked and staffed bar. Both Avan and Kya had skipped lunch in anticipation for the evening and wasted no time digging in. Much to everyone's surprise, Pema headed straight for the bar. She saw Kya and Avan looking and decided to explain, "The kids are older now and can manage on their own." No sooner had she spoken when a small, chocolate tart, turned projectile, nearly missed Meelo, having been fired by Rohan. Pema shot Tenzin a commanding look, who quickly scooped up Rohan and Meelo both, whisking them out of sight. "Also, Tenzin owes me, so he is on duty tonight and I am free." With that, Pema turned to the bartender and quickly began explaining what she wanted in surprising detail.

"I think I'll join her," Kya said. "Make that two of whatever she is having!" she yelled to the bartender. "Avan, do you want to join us?"

"No, no, I'm going to explore this place myself. I don't think the two of you need any more encouragement."

"Boys...," Pema commented. As Avan turned away, he heard the first of many clinks of glass for the evening. He laughed seeing Tenzin almost overpowered by his two youngest as he headed aft. Avan passed by Jinora and Kai who were sitting closely by a fire that had been setup poolside, probably still closer than what Tenzin would like, but what could he do, she was growing up too. A short distance past the two love birds, Ikki came running past, barely noticing him. The next thing he heard was Jinora trying to get Ikki to leave them alone. At the stern, she found Opal standing by herself watching the Air Temple Island slowly fall away.

"Hey Opal, I didn't know you were even on the island. I figured you would be with Bolin." Opal was standing quietly with a cup of tea, taking in the bay. Her face appeared a bit tired, but she looked great in classy, high necked Earth kingdom style dress that had been made in Air Nation colors. While she always looked well-kept, she seemed especially put together. "You look really nice tonight!"

"Oh hey Avan, thanks, I...ummm...had some last minute business to take care of in the Fire Nation...for Asami. I just made it back in time to change so I am going to meet Bo at the party tonight. Not often I get to hitch a ride on a luxury yacht and it'll save me from messing up my hair. Congratulations by the way!"

"Oh thanks. I was telling Kya that I didn't really think it would make much difference. I mean it's just a piece of paper and another day, but inside it really does feel like a change. I'm not sure why or how to explain it."

"You can't explain family. They somehow create an attachment that just can't be broken." They turned to observe Tenzin nearly falling into the pool, being tackled by Meelo and Rohan, Ikki following Jinora and Kai around asking questions about their relationship and what they either have or have not done together, and Pema and Kya boisterously laughing at the bar together. "Like I was saying, an attachment that you just can't shake...no matter what. Even though you were close with Kya, just like with her, there is something to that piece of paper, as you call it, that deep down meant something much more to both of you."

"Opal, I doubt I could have come up with a better description of all this than what you just said."

"I am amazing after all!"

"Well, try not to let it go to your head, but I'll make sure Bo knows."

"Too late, Bo knows." They both share a laugh.

"So why did you have to run off to the Fire Nation?" asked Avan. "I haven't heard of much unrest there for some time now, and most of our patients are still coming from the city or the Earth nation. Luckily the numbers are far fewer now."

"Oh, ummm, it was some...emergency stuff for Future Industries. Kind of competition sensitive kinda things and all." Avan gave Opal a slight look of skepticism to which Opal returned a goof-ball smile as a response.

"Well, looks like we're almost there. I guess the problem with a boat like this is that it really moves so you can't enjoy it too long. I'm going to go freshen up."

"Okay, see you Opal."

Avan stayed to watch the docking process before joining up with the rest to disembark. Kya and Pema were last on the boat. "Are you guys coming?" Avan questioned.

"Sure, sure young man." Pema responded, already developing a slight slur to her speech.

"Are you going to be alright Pema?" Avan asked.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you to ask. He is so sweet Kya."

"Yes he is. She'll be fine. She is just planning to relax one-hundred and ten percent tonight. We'll all keep an eye out for her." Kya gave Avan a wink. "Come on, let's get moving, we still aren't even at the party yet."

"The party has already started!" Pema announced as she grabbed Avan and looped her arm through his. "Onward to the limo!" Kya nearly fell down laughing as Pema dragged Avan, hanging from his arm, as Avan mouthed, "Help!"

Again, in pure Asami style, there were two, black Satolimos waiting for them right off the docks. Pema instructed Tenzin to take the kids in one, while she, Kya, Avan and Opal stepped into the other. Jinora pleaded, unsuccessfully, to ride away from Ikki at least, but Pema already had her plan set. Kai purposely stayed out of it and just followed Pema's order. "Don't worry, it's not a long way there anyway, Jinora, honey," Pema added. "You and Kai can find a nice, dark, quiet corner to yourselves at the party," Pema said reassuringly. "Where I can keep an eye on you!" she added. This earned Pema an eye-roll and a puff from the teenager.

"You can be a cruel one Pema," Kya said.

"Oh, I'm just playing with them. My little girl is really all grown up now. I know how they look at each other. It's only a matter of time before they decide to move out, take the next step together, get married, or who knows what. Then, she really won't be mine anymore." Pema took a sip of a drink that no one was quite able to figure out how she obtained so quickly. "No, she already isn't really mine anymore, she is her own woman now. All I can do is support her as best I can...and make fun of her at any chance I get." Pema smiled widely as she took another long gulp of her drink. "Anyone for something to drink?" she offered, shaking a bottle in the air.

* * *

It was barely a fifteen minute ride to the Platypus Bear Bistro, one of Asami's pet projects. Some years back, Korra had taken her to a hole in the wall place called Hold Your Fire that she had found for dinner. Asami fell in love with the food immediately and was enamored by the hard luck story of the chef, who had started many times to get a restaurant off the ground. A Fire Nation native, she wanted to bring the cuisine to the Earth nation, but twice was shut down. Once due to getting tied up in the middle of some political argument over land and again due to the civil war. Then she tried to start up again in Republic City only to have her place destroyed yet again when Kuvira attacked. Still undeterred, she setup out of the basement of a small grocery where she was just able to make rent while living out of the back room.

In the end, Asami ended up bank rolling nearly everything for the new place to get it up and going, even without any real collateral. She even helped to fix up the chef's old place just a bit so that she wouldn't be abandoning her blue collar fans either. At the bistro, they have a couple nights a month that are set aside with special pricing for people that normally couldn't dream to afford a meal there, the patrons of the original shop. They take a slight loss, of course, on those nights, still not sparing any of the usual fair, but the good will it has generated for both the restaurant and Asami is priceless. In the end, Asami says that she is on track to break even on the entire investment in just another year or two if things remain stable. Korra suggested on multiple occasions that if the whole engineering thing doesn't pan out, she could always fall back on hospitality.

The Platypus had held a reputation of being one of the top restaurants in the city almost from opening night. Despite the name, it prided itself on creating a fusion of cuisines from all four nations and Republic City itself. This variety was just part of its allure. Avan had never actually seen it himself, much less eaten there, but Korra and the other raved about it on multiple occasions. When they pulled up, he was surprised that the front was very warm and inviting. Almost as if it were just the corner, mom and pop place that you would go to any night of the week. He had for some reason expected some modern industrialized decor given Asami's background.

Asami and Korra came out to greet them just as they started exiting their vehicles. Asami looked stunning as always in a mostly black, slim evening dress with dark red and gold detailing. Korra had on one of her warmer weather, semi-formal Water nation dresses, arm wrapped around Asami's torso. Quite the scene unfolded in front of them. Tenzin nearly flew out of one car with what seemed like a tornado of children, only two, whirling around him. Jinora and Kai ran by with a passing, "Hey guys," trying to get away from the Ikki who had now made it a point to annoy her older sister as much as she could. Kya and Avan were helping Pema out of the other Satolimo. Even from a slight distance, Korra and Asami could see Pema, red cheeks and all, was well on her way to a good time for the night.

Suddenly, in the midst of the cacophony, Pema stamped her foot, saying in a stern but not quite yelling tone, "Children, behave!" A silence fell across the the group as the winds around Tenzin died down leaving Rohan and Meelo standing calmly next to their father and Ikki came back to stand with Pema. Korra, Asami, Kya and everyone else were truly in awe of this woman's power. Even if she did subsequently break character a bit shouting, "Sami, let's party!" Asami and Korra held each other to avoid falling down with laughter at the sight.

Asami ushered them towards a back room which they had to themselves for the entire evening. They shared greetings and complements on how everyone looked for the evening. Opal found Bolin and shared a kiss before settling at one corner of the table. Mako said hello to everyone. He pulled Kya aside to tell her that Lin was sorry that she would be late arriving. Avan saw the slight drop in her face before recovering. Kya was again surprised to see Pema had already found another drink, some yellowish concoction this time, "How does she do that?" Several staff came around and began taking drink orders and passing around small bites for everyone to get started. Much to Tenzin's relief, Asami had planned ahead for the younger ones and had a room setup adjacent with everything they could want, at least for a few hours.

After everyone appeared settled, Asami stood up. "Everyone, welcome to Platypus Bear Bistro! Tonight we are celebrating the great news that Kya and Avan received that made the creation of their family now official!" Everyone cheered and reiterated "Congratulations". Kya and Avan were both a bit embarrassed by all the attention, but happy to have so many friends close enough to be family themselves and offered thanks to everyone there and those who couldn't be there. Asami continued, "So I don't want to make some long speech or anything, we are all friends. I want everyone to have a great time, the kitchen is open to us. They are awesome here and can put together almost anything you can dream of and a couple things you never could! I hope everyone can stick around through the night for some of "special" courses that we have planned out too!" Avan couldn't help but pick up on how Asami shifted her gaze between Kya, Korra and himself at the mention of special courses, but he had learned it best to not try to resist whatever this group had in store. "Drink up and have a great time!"

Happiness permeated every inch of the room that evening. Plates of food came in and out and drifted around the table. Everyone was up and about talking about daily life, events of the past, plans for the future. Most had a drink in one hand and a fork in the other; sipping, talking and stealing bites off the plate that looked most interesting to them in that moment, then repeat. Even the kids had settled down and circulated around in their own way.

It wasn't long before mischief began to break out as well. Much to everyone's surprise, Avan was the first to instigate, but in his own way, it was some time before people realized he was the one up to it. Using water-bending, he started swapping out people's drinks, many times from one sip to the next, but always managing to do it when no one was paying attention, taking advantage of the inebriation of the group. Somehow, in spite of being probably the least sober of the group, it was Pema, with all the training she had from her kids, that caught Avan spinning a globule of wine that led to his down fall. Although this just sparked another round. Kya couldn't help but comment on the fact that the room held some of the top benders and minds of the world, and they were there whisking chairs out from under one another and pulling other practical jokes. The laughter of it all was infectious.

* * *

Later in the evening, Asami and Korra left together, returning after a few minutes. "Ahem," Korra cleared her throat in the most conspicuous manner imaginable, getting most everyone's attention. "Avan, we have prepared a special surprise for you. It is, uhh, being delivered right now if you would be so kind as to get it from the driver out front." Avan of course held nothing but suspicion at this point due to the grins that both she and Asami were wearing from ear to ear. He eyed the two of them, but received nothing in return. "Go on, it should only take a few moments," Asami prodded. Avan signed and relegated himself to whatever it was they had in store for him.

"Do I need anything to carry it in?" Avan innocently asked, assuming it was a dessert or something, as Korra practically shoved him out of the room. "Nope, you'll be fine carrying it all on your own." He was perhaps a bit tipsy, but quickly gathered himself and headed to the large, wooden doors leading out to the street from whence they came earlier in the evening. He could see a car parked out front with the driver waiting by the rear door. When he stepped out of the restaurant, the driver spoke up, "Avan?"

"Yes, that's me," he responded pointing to himself. At that, the driver didn't say a word, but turned and opened the door of the waiting Satomobile. Avan, mouth agape, stood stunned at the top of the steps as a young woman stepped out. "Ziara!" he shouted as tears inexplicably blurred his eyes.

"It's me!" She returned. They speedily closed the distance between one another and shared a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again."

Avan exhaled a trapped breath, "You too, I've...really missed you. Letters are wonderful, but just aren't..." He could feel her nodding in agreement, face buried in his chest. After a few moments, he gathered himself a bit as they finally separated. "You...you look stunning," he declared, taking her in. Ziara blushed. She thought herself to be rather simply dressed in a long, dark red, sleeveless dress with whimsical black floral pattern. It's collar high enough to be modest, while still displaying, highlighting even, the well defined lines of her collarbones. While not truly fitted, the light material seemed to flow over each of her curves and down over her long legs. Over it she wore a short, cream colored jacket, left open, ending just above her hips, with sleeves ending just short of her elbows. Her black hair was shorter now, styled, but left loose.

"You look nice yourself," she commented, examining Avan head to toe. "You still carry your mementos around I see," pointing the small collection tied at his side.

"Both now, old habits you know." Avan reached out to move a few strands of hair that had been blown into her face. She brought her hand up to hold his against the side of her head and shared a smile, "You changed your hair, I like it."

"Well, it was getting too long anyway and just taking too much time to get ready everyday." A light cough came from behind, popping the bubble Avan and Ziara had been living in for the past few moments.

They both seemed to suddenly realize that their shared moments had been between more than just the two of them. Soufa, Ziara's mother, had also stepped out of the car and been watching their exchange while they were nearly entirely oblivious. Avan glanced at the restaurant and found nearly the entire party had noses mushed against the windows watching them. Based on the looks and pointing, he could only imagine what they were suggesting inside. Ziara and Avan dropped their hands and smiled at the whole scene.

"Soufa, it is so good to see you again. Kya will be happy you are here."

"Oh, I know it isn't me that you are so eager to see," she jested, "...and why don't you start calling me 'mom'," she added with a wink. Avan blushed at the suggestion, which elicited a "Mom!" from Ziara.

"Well, why don't we continue inside. I'm pretty sure everyone is itching to meet you." Avan waved his arm to point out the window watchers who were hard to miss. He walked the two of them in, arm in arm.

Everyone filtered back to the private room. Soufa and Ziara offered congratulations to Kya and Avan, then Kya and Soufa exchanged hugs and Kya took her around introducing everyone to her. Avan took the lead introducing Ziara to the rest of the group. Opal, Bolin and Mako all broke out into whispers with one another after they talked. Avan was quite curious what it was they had to say. Meelo seemed to have to reservations about switching his "pretty lady" sights onto Ziara.

"What is Asami going to think if you start calling Ziara 'pretty lady' Meelo?" Avan asked.

"Why can't I have two pretty ladies!" he asserted. They laughed at the comment.

"I guess you'll figure it out eventually." They moved on. "This is Pema, Tenzin's wife and mother of Jinora, Ikki, 'pretty lady' boy there, and Rohan." Ziara offered warm salutations. Pema on the other hand decided to grab the girl in a full body embrace. Ziara appeared slightly uncomfortable, but no worse for wear.

Pema stepped back, "Oh you look wonderful! That dress is beautiful and really suits your figure. I can see why Avan was so smitten by you!" Avan's face turned just another shade more red. "You know, he has had this on-going problem for, it must be a month now, about writing letters to you..." The redness on Avan's face now cranked up to eleven.

Avan stepped in and turned Ziara slightly, "Okay, let's move on...you should meet Tenzin."

"Wait, what is she talking about?" Ziara asked.

"Oh nothing, we can talk about it later."

"Nice to meet you Pema!"

"So nice to meet you too. We'll talk later!" Pema responded with a devious smile, rising a drink to the two of them.

After some time, things settled back down and people were back in the mode of talking with a few drinks and bites to eat in between. Kya, Pema and Soufa all settled in next to each other on an over-stuffed sofa and were deep in conversation. Tenzin had finally embraced his duty for the night and had struck up some kind of bending game with Ikki, Meelo and Rohan and, to everyone's surprise, Mako also joined the group of kids. Korra commented on the whole scene, "I would have never guessed at that. Those are probably the two most serious people in this room and now they are playing a kids game." Asami and Korra examined the two of them as they finally took a seat with them.

"Asami, I wanted to thank you so much for the day at the spa. My mom and I have never really treated ourselves to anything like that, it was amazing!" Ziara offered earnestly. "On top of that, arranging for us to come out to Republic City and arranging time off for us! It was all really just too much, I don't know how we could ever repay you."

"Oh stop, this is a night to enjoy and we were all quite aware of how well the two of you got along with Kya and Avan. I hope you enjoy yourselves and can stay a while in the city. After what you went through dealing with this conspiracy business, Mr. Hazar was more than happy to oblige my request to get you guys some time off."

"Wait, did this have anything to do with why Opal was in the Fire Nation today?" Avan asked.

Asami nodded, "She was the on-site facilitator so to speak."

"I'll have to thank her." Avan glanced over in her direction, seeing Opal and Bolin curled up on a too small loveseat, napping in one another's arms, "Later. Opal has her duties with the Air nation and Bolin is so busy now with Verrick's movers, they only see each other a couple times a week now. Obviously they can sometimes be pretty worn out by then too," Avan explained.

"Asami has this way of getting her way with people," Korra added, wrapping her arms tightly around the dark haired woman, causing Asami to blush just a bit. Avan smiled in agreement. He had to admit, she did have this strange ability to get others to follow her direction, even the most strong willed of those around them. He just chalked it up to the fact she had honed such skills due to her roles at Future Industries nearly her entire life.

"Korra, just how much have you had tonight?" Asami asked with a wide smile on her face.

"More than plenty, but not quite enough!" Korra declared, now hanging off Asami's shoulder, to which the taller one relented and tilted her head back onto the other.

"My one true weakness, right here," she added, pointing to Korra, nuzzling in her neck.

The four of them shared past stories of getting to know one another. Korra was keen on digging up embarrassing events during Avan's training and early days at the Air Temple. "Early on, when he was still getting the hang of his water bending, he tried to show off by diving into a water spout in front of the kids. Instead of making the spout, he pushed all the water out and so he flopped flat into the mud at the base of the beach, then to top it off, it made him lose concentration so the water all came collapsing back on top of him. He nearly drowned himself!" Korra shared.

Avan gave a weak laugh, "Yep, almost killed myself! I still have a scar on my chin from hitting the ground that time."

"Oh, you were never in any real danger with Kya and myself around."

"You know, I never thought about it, but you guys *were* both there! Why didn't you do anything to break my fall?! ..."

The night grew later...

"Wait, so you spar with *the* Avatar?!" Ziara says with surprise and some concern. "You mentioned training in your letters, but maybe you should be a bit more detailed. You are too modest."

"He is," Korra added, messing up Avan's hair. "He's pretty good too! Now, I'm not saying he could go up against the Avatar state or anything," Korra begins flexing her biceps for all to see and Asami "Oo's and ah's," holding her arms, "but he can hold his own and is definitely on the short list of the friends I like to train with...that is those who aren't actually out to kill me or anything."

Avan noticed that Ziara seemed to pull back from the group just a little bit. He placed his hand on hers and spoke quietly to her, "Is something the matter? Are you feeling okay?"

Ziara shook her head, "No...I mean, I'm feeling fine." She glanced at the three of them, realizing she had attracted the attention to herself. "I'm sorry, it's just I have to admit I feel a bit overwhelmed sitting here talking to Avatar Korra, the CEO of easily the largest corporation in the world. Even Avan here spars with you? I guess I'm just feeling a bit...insignificant."

Asami leaned forward and touched Ziara's chin to level her gaze. "Ziara, never discount yourself for anyone and certainly not anyone at this table or in this room. If not for you, we may have never tracked down the group going after Korra and she may well have ended up a slave to their plans. Everyone has their part to play and no one melody is less important than another to drive the world forward." The younger girl became glassy-eyed and smiled. "Maybe Asami really did have some kind of power to truly move people," Ziara thought to herself.

Asami and Ziara became surprisingly close in their short time together. They found quite a lot in common, having lost parents and both, non-benders, being involved to one degree or another with a bender. Asami suggested some ground rules for Ziara about the bending, perhaps a bit more than she needed to know so early in their relationship, but Ziara laughed all the same assuming some of the comments were likely fueled by the night of drinks. They even got along on discussions of business. Ziara felt quite humbled due to Asami's high stature of course, but was amazed at how down to earth she actually was.

"I didn't bring up Future Industries from nothing, my father and many other people contributed to where we are now. What I really appreciate and value is that hard work that people invest. You do the same thing for Slagwerker in your own way. None of it would work without every piece doing their best to move the beast along."

"Oh, don't be so modest. Your father did start the business, but I know that since you have taken over, you have transformed the company into something much more. You practically represent the ideals of working together, change for the better to the nations now. You're really the driving force for pulling the world into a new age. The other companies, despite what they may claim, are just trying to keep up with you." Asami was quite surprised at the assessment she had been offered, hugged the younger woman and offered heartfelt thanks for the candor.

Friendly conversation continued among everyone. One person could hardly keep up with it all. The restaurant had cleared out and their party was the last remaining with just a skeleton staff to keep things going. Everyone had their fill and many were well pickled. They all thanked the chef profusely for the hard work and the delicious food they had enjoyed all night. Sleep was beginning to take over many of their eyes when there was a late knock at the doors of the front room. It was Lin.

"Sorry I'm so late, there was some last minute clean up on a case that required my attention," she announced to the group. "It looks like I've missed most of the evening. I hope none of you are planning to drive yourselves back," she said with her own judging smile.

"Lin! I'm so glad you could make it, you're always welcome!" Asami announced. She hustled off to gather what food items would still be available for Lin and brought her a drink, which she eyed somewhat suspiciously before downing in its entirety, surprising Asami.

"Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do," signaling for another.

Lin made her way around to say hello to everyone and introduced herself to Ziara. She gave Avan a small nod of approval after speaking with Ziara for a few moments. Eventually, she made her way over where Kya, Soufa and Pema were seated and joined the ladies. The small influx of energy that Lin brought to the group endured for another hour or so. Opal and Bolin had fully fallen asleep and the kids were obviously done for the evening as well. Tenzin carefully woke up the sleepy-heads, gave goodbyes and headed out with them. Eventually, Kya asked to talk with Lin privately, leaving Pema and Soufa to continue without them.

Pema placed her hand on Soufa's leg, "They have a few issues to work out on their own. Now the question is what are we going to do about those two?" Pema nodded towards Avan and Ziara who were talking quietly, shoulder to shoulder with legs intertwined.

Soufa assessed the situation, "Oh what can anyone do really. I don't know if they quite realize it yet themselves, but they have fallen for one another. If they can be as close as they are through writing, they will find a way to be together." She patted Pema's leg, "I'm sure you know too. Jinora is it? She is far down that path as well, they all grow up. Mine took a while to get going. I think she was always a bit worried about what would happen to her mother if she became seriously involved with someone, though she would never admit it." The two mothers sat quietly with pleasant smiles on their faces. "So what can you tell me about the Korra and Mrs. Sato? They certainly look close..." Pema perked up and brought her head in close, "Oh, let me tell you about those two..."

* * *

Kya and Lin slowly walked a bit down the street from the restaurant. Neither was quite sure how to start and they both had words in mind that wanted release. "Kya," Lin started, "Listen, I know I have been...a bit distant recently. I have just never been good at putting my feelings out..." Kya grabbed the metal-bender's hands and turned her around, face to face.

Kya fixed her stare into Lin's eyes. "Lin, we both have our own issues arising from being a bit hard-headed. You are so selfless that you would rather hurt yourself than see those you care about get hurt themselves. I know I sometimes can get so tied up in things that I can forget the other people involved. I am truly sorry about what I did. I just wasn't thinking. We had been distant for a while and I wasn't sure where..."

Lin sandwiched Kya's cheeks between her palms and pulled her close for a lingering kiss. The two visibly relaxed together, just taking in the feeling of one another until after what seemed like ages, Lin pulled back slightly. "I don't want to dwell anymore on what happened or what we should have done. We never talked, I mean really talked, about what this is between us when we should have long ago." Lin brought the water-bender in close for a hug. "Please, don't think that Avan came between us in any way. That isn't fair to you and isn't fair to him. All I want you to know is that I want to try and open up more to you, as hard as that may be for a crotchety, spinster of a chief." They both finally stopped holding back their tears and pulled one another closer.

"Only if you can put up with this oblivious, emotional old-maid." Through the tears, laughter. "Why do we let these things build up like this before we really talk to one another?"

"I guess in the end we're both pretty stupid when it comes to the people we love, wouldn't you say?"

"The worst! Spirits, Avan and Ziara resorted to nothing but letters and have spent at best a day together their whole lives and I think they have this whole business figured out better than us!" Kya jokes.

"We are sad aren't we..." Lin took a breath and stared up at the night, "Kya, do you think Avan will like me?"

"Lin, he already adores you. Did you forget who was the one that opened up this life for him in the first place? He knows you have everyone's best interests closest to your heart." Kya thinks for a moment, "He's not stupid like us, he had already picked up on 'us' and our rocky times. I think he is a good reader of a person's true nature."

"Sounds like trouble if you ask me."

"Yep, family make the best kind."

The two turned back toward the restaurant to find the rest of the party waiting on the steps, observing the two of them. Grins and goofy faces greeted the two as they approached. Lin stepped up, "Okay that's enough of that!" This only had the opposite effect on the inebriated group. Lin shrugged and decided to just accept it. The group started to pile themselves into the waiting Satolimo. Avan glanced over to Kya and Lin with a grin.

"If it's alright, I am going to stay with Lin. We have some things to work out that we shouldn't be put off any longer." She looked to Lin. "We'll be fine walking; it's a nice night out." Avan walked up to Kya and gave her a hug, "Good night mom, I'm glad you two finally decided to talk." He smiled at Lin, "I know I don't have to mention to keep an eye on Kya for me." Lin responded by rolling her eyes, only increasing the size of Avan's smile.

"Where are you guys staying?" Avan asked Ziara and Soufa stepping into the vehicle.

"Asami set up us in the Republic City Suites, which by the way Asami, is just way over the top for us you know. We didn't need something so lavish," said Ziara.

"Speak for yourself!" Soufa corrected, eliciting a smile from the green-eyed woman. "Ziara, as you get older, you need to learn to just enjoy what life provides you."

They arrived at the hotel to drop off Soufa and Ziara. Avan exited with them. "Will you be staying in the city for a while?"

"Well, we only made arrangements for a couple days, but we'll be here for at least two more days." Avan's face visibly lit up a few degrees at the prospect. "Asami set us up with some mother and daughter time at the spa here tomorrow morning, but I'd hoped to see you again afterwards."

"You should come to Air Temple Island! I would love to show you around, and I can show you where Kya and I work too. I mean if that doesn't sound boring. Or, if you'd rather, we could also hit a couple of the sites around the city before you have to head back. Or if you already had plans, we could..." Ziara smiled at Avan's flustered response, trying to plan out an entire day on spur of the moment.

"That all sounds great," Ziara responded, "I'd love, I mean, we'd like to see the Air Temple," she corrected looking to her mom since it was her vacation too. Soufa had made her way to the lobby while the two had hung back. "I guess I should head up with mom for the night, it's been a long day. Avan, I really had a good time tonight and I had been wanting to see you again after all this time, congratulations again." Ziara slow began her turn toward the lobby and Avan seized the moment to grasp her hand. He paused for the briefest moment to scan for any hesitation, and seeing none, he gently placed his hand on Ziara's back and coaxed her in close. She naturally closed her eyes as the distance between their faces vanished. Her soft hair brushed his face; sweet, intoxicating smell. Heart pounding, chest tightened. Lips met tenderly forever for an instant. Relax, joy. Their eyes opened to shared happiness. Ziara was unable to close her lips as the smile, stretched by her blushed cheeks, prevented it. Finally, Ziara moved to depart, arms stretching to maintain contact as long as possible. "Good night Avan."

"Good night Ziara."

After she disappeared into the hotel lobby, Avan made his way back to the car, now slightly more empty. He was unable to tame the enormous smile pasted on his face, but really had not desire to do so either. Approving grins greeted him from all sides as he settled down in the back next to Pema. He rolled his eyes at the collective group as the car headed back to the docks. Inside, his spirit was happier than he could ever recall, it felt as if his chest would burst. He couldn't even recall what or if anyone said anything to him the rest of the night. His mind was elsewhere as he stared at the passing cityscape, thinking on the evening and the next day.

"She's got 'em; he's a hopeless case now," Korra whispered to Asami, wrapped up in her lap. "Undeniably," Asami agreed, "...you're a hopeless case." Korra rested her head down on Asami's lap, "Yep, I wouldn't want it any other way..."


	13. Opportunity

Avan was up early the next morning. After washing up, it was probably one of the rare times that he looked over his small wardrobe and actually regretted not being a bit more concerned about what he wore everyday. "Oh well," he thought, grabbing one of his usual outfits that was in the best shape of the bunch. He headed out to the main hall for a quick bite and was surprised (or not) to find the hall virtually empty, only a few of the acolytes who he knew to be early risers were scattered there. Pema was usually among them, but not this morning. "I guess everyone is taking advantage of Tenzin sleeping in this morning," he thought. Tenzin was typically up early and liked to hold morning training sessions for all the benders, but last night must have been a bit much even for him. Avan grabbed a couple apples and instead of sticking around, headed to the healing area.

He entered the main healing room, not surprised to find it empty. Their only patient had been released to the hospital shortly before they left the previous evening, but the bed and other soiled items still were out. He went to cleaning up and preparing the area for the next unlucky soul that they might have to treat. It was a welcome task that would keep him from focusing on the anticipation of seeing Ziara, who was expected to arrive late in the morning. An hour or so passed which brought Avan to a more reasonable time of the morning. He was beginning to wonder why Kya hadn't shown up yet, but shrugged it off owing it to the long night before.

As he headed back to the dining hall, Avan's nose caught the familiar, sweet scent of Pema's fruit bakes. The island was once again coming alive, though an hour or so later than usual. Avan took his usual spot with the others. Most were no worse for wear and "good mornings" were exchanged among everyone and the usual friendly morning chit-chat commenced. When Pema came out from the kitchen, silence fell over the table and glances were shared. She delivered some of her classic breakfast items, but the food was not what caught everyone's attention.

"Ahhhmmm," Tenzin loudly cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the table. "Thank you dear, it looks lovely," Tenzin said, quite tenderly, to his wife. She did not quite take it as he may have intended.

"Oh, come on. I know you guys are all thinking it." Pema spoke, accusing everyone. She was obviously having a rough morning, perhaps more than a bit hungover from the night before. She was moving a bit sluggishly and had the tell-tail signs of a headache, hair perhaps a bit messier than usual and distinct, dark rings under her eyes. "I'll admit, I probably had a bit too much fun last night... BUT, I don't regret any of it!" she asserted. That was enough to break the hold of silence as laughter pushed back against the slight awkwardness and then normal conversation filled in once again. Everyone dug in deeply, stomachs ready for a good first meal. Pema sat back and nibbled a bit on a banana, quietly.

"Pema, can I help at all?" Avan asked.

"Honestly, at this point, I will take anything I can get," she responded. "My head feels like a truck slammed into it and got stuck in there somewhere. I guess I'm not a spring possum-chicken anymore; I can't quite party like I used to." She gave Avan a warm smile.

Avan got up, stood behind Pema and bent water from a pitcher on the table. He moved the dimly glowing mass over Pema's forehead, temples, neck and back. One could visibly see tension leaving her face as he worked. "Mmmm," Pema muttered, "I can't tell you how nice it is to have you and Kya here... I mean, not that we should be using you to get over hangovers or anything, but... ahhhhh, I can't thank you enough." She leaned over in her chair and almost looked to fall asleep in just the five or so minutes while Avan worked.

Avan threw the water into the bucket for dirty dishes near the kitchen, "All done." Pema let out a small sigh, "You know, if the healing thing every dries up you could make a fortune offering that outside of bars in the city. Thank you."

"With everything you do around here, it's the least I can do, really." Avan replied with a smile. "By the way has anyone heard from Kya this morning?"

The table exchanged looks before Pema answered, "It was pretty late, I expect she stayed with Lin last night and with neither of them preferring mornings, we probably won't hear anything until the afternoon at least." Avan nodded in agreement. "By the way, do you know when your friend is supposed to be coming over to visit?" Pema asked with a smile.

Avan rolled his eyes. "She and her mom had a morning at the spa planned courtesy of Asami, but they were planning to catch a ferry ride over to be here for lunch if that is alright."

Pema waved her hands, "Oh, no one needs our permission to visit the island. Everyone is welcome to come and go at the Air Temple. I'll just see if I can make lunch a bit extra special for today."

For the rest of the morning, Avan settled into a fairly standard routine. He had a few chores still assigned on the island, though they were minimal now that he was basically working full-time as a healer with Kya, that were mainly left to him due to his rather unique ability to bend both water and earth. He also tried to pass some of the time exercising with the airbenders, though his mind was never really on any of his tasks this morning. In the mid-morning, Ikki tracked Avan down and passed along a message, 'I should be on the next ferry over. Excited to see you!' "Thanks Ikki!" he said as he quickly pocketed it and headed down to the dock area. Ikki tried to engage in some teasing, but it was completely lost on him.

* * *

"What's so funny?" asks Tenzin upon seeing his wife sitting outside with a book by her side, chuckling to herself. She point towards the docks below with a huge grin on her face, "That boy has been pacing back and forth muttering to himself for the past thirty minutes at least. The ferry schedule is the same every day and the next one still won't be here for probably another twenty minutes. I just think it really cute, funny and cute." Tenzin stood by her for a few moments and observed. Pema saw the start of a smile grow across his face and called him on it, "See! It's not just me!"

Tenzin quickly gathered himself, "Well, yes, love often drives us to act somewhat strange at times."

"Yes, yes it does...," Pema trailed off as she grasped her husband's hand.

* * *

Avan was slowly pacing about and talking to himself off and on about what they should do for the day, feeling a need to fill up the time with some sort of activity. Occasionally he would glance out into the bay in an attempt to discern an approaching ferry that was still not there. Finally, he took a seat, exhaled and gave his nerves a break, realizing he was working himself up for no good at all.

It wasn't long before the anticipated arrival finally came. The ferry was only lightly occupied and they spotted each other quickly while still on approach. Ziara appeared to be traveling alone. Avan waved his hand in the air, smiling, as he made his way to meet the young woman. She smiled back and met him in a warm embrace.

"I've been thinking about seeing you again since last night," said Ziara.

"You're not alone. After so much time apart, I didn't really want to let you go." They both blushed a bit at the topic. She stepped back and held her arms out, as if presenting herself

"So?" He stared at her in a stupor, obviously missing the cue.

"What do you think?" she asked as spinning around. She was wearing a pair of capri pants that hugged her hips and were well fitted to her slender legs in a deep purple with very fine white stitching. Her shirt, a simple white linen button down top with a wide neckline. The top button was left open which helped to accentuate her beautiful neck line. This was only helped further by her hair having been pulled back into a short ponytail, while a small layer, too short to be caught in the tail, was left free. Simple flat, white sandals gripped newly pedicured feet. Avan took in a breath, "You look radiant! I feel a little embarrassed, like I should be more presentable." He looked down at his shoes that while intact, showed their age. Like his clothes, everything was in one piece, but faded colors and slightly worn edges gave away their role as utility.

Ziara didn't allow his excitement to drop, grabbing his hand, "Avan, you look nice. I don't want you to ever think that you need to look a certain way for me. Sure, there are times and places for it, but everyday and this day is not it. Besides, I don't usually dress this nice either. After the treatment Asami set up for us at the spa, I just really felt like putting on something a little special! I'll admit, it does feel nice getting a bit of pampering every now and then. I think my mom is going to be addicted now."

"Where is your mom anyway? I thought you were coming over together."

"Oh...well. After having the morning for just the two of us, she said that maybe it would be for the best if she let me...us have some time alone." She looked at Avan with a questioning grin.

"You have an amazing mom," said Avan, smiling back.

"She is going to try and meet back up with Kya and come over later in the day, so she will still get her island tour."

Avan motioned towards the exit from the docks, "Well, on to a quick tour then?"

"Let's!" she responded, taking Avan's hand.

* * *

The island was busy with the day to day tasks that were simply a matter of routine. They started their walk with interest, walking through the greenhouses and garden areas. Ziara was surprised to learn that the island could be entirely self-sufficient and was also quite impressed in the wide variety of plants and produce that were tended by the air acolytes. "When you eat an all vegetarian diet, it is important to get as much variety as possible," Avan commented, "...at least that's what Pema says."

They next made their way through the training area. Avan described a bit about the techniques they were practicing. "Many of the motions they practice are learned by benders and non-benders alike. The movements are quite useful for defense."

"Show me," Ziara stated quietly.

"Huh?"

"Can you teach me?" she questioned more affirmatively. "You've learned it, right? Show me." She gave Avan a smile that melted his usual aversion and grabbed his hand, pulling the two of them towards the edge of the training area.

"Well, I'm not an airbender, but…"

"But you said you have been training with them since you've been here, so you must know _something_." He watched as she slowly spun off with her arms gliding through the air with such finesse. "They look so graceful, how they move."

He stood frozen for a few moments as she looked on with eager eyes. "Start like this." He positioned himself into a basic form and watched for her to mimic his stance. "The motions are really the essential part of the air bending training. This is one of the basic forms that attempts to leave your body in a position for freedom of movement. When your balance is right, Tenzin says you should feel little effort to initiate a movement in almost any direction."

"Like the wind," she answers with a grin. Avan nods.

"You should try to make all the motion from your starting point fluid." Avan begins to move his feet only. "Each flows into the next so that you are not fighting against nature or your body." He then stops to watch as Ziara begins. He can see she is trying to mimic his own steps. While she appears to move smoothly, he can see that it is not quite right.

"That is a good start, but you also have to remember that you aren't trying to match mine or anyone else's movements, not exactly anyway. The motions differ slightly for everyone because we are all a bit different. It's merely guidance." She gave it another try and he could see she was already incorporating small adjustments. "Good! It took me a while to catch onto that concept," he praises, "If I didn't know better, I would swear you must have airbender somewhere in your family tree!" This elicited a bashful smile on her lips. It wasn't long before the two of them moved through many of the other basic forms. Avan was quite impressed by her ability to learn the motions.

Time seemed to stand still for the two of them as they danced in the training area. After a short time, they began to catch a few of the trainees' attention as well as, but they continued on without a care. They both shared in the same blissful smile as they circled, eyes often locked on one another. Avan was in a trance watching Ziara's movements, breeze gently tossing her hair about, leaving just the slightest whispers of scent in the air for him to take in. Ziara too was fixated on Avan. She was surprised at how fluid and effortless his movements, despite being, in her estimation, a bit awkward otherwise in a day to day sense.

The afternoon came too quickly and though neither of them wished to stop, their stomachs announced otherwise with shared growls. Laughing lightly, they decided that was enough for the day and headed up to the main hall. As they neared, they were joined by several other acolytes who were caught in their own conversation. One whom knew Avan a bit better decided to comment with a bit of jest in his voice, "So Avan, is she," nodding toward Ziara, "going to be joining as an acolyte?" Avan smiled and glanced back and forth between him and Ziara a moment, "No, she is...with me, just visiting the island." Ziara grabbed Avan's hand. With that the acolyte smirked at Avan, "Well then m'lady, please feel free to visit the training grounds anytime!" Avan rolled his eyes as the acolyte jogged forward to catch up with his group, chuckling to himself. "He's a good guy, just likes to pull my chain when he can."

They ate another delicious meal with Pema, Tenzin and the kids. Ikki, being her usual self asked Ziara if she was going to stay on the island or if she wanted to marry Avan, to the side, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. The latter causing the both of them to go red-faced with a short bout of speechlessness. Pema employed her usual skill to redirect her talkative daughter and calm the situation.

Tenzin glided over to Avan and Ziara, a bit away from his children. "Ziara, have you ever had a desire to study the airbending traditions?" He was met with puzzled glances. "I am quite serious."

Pema chimed in firmly from across the table, "Tenzin, I am quite sure she did not come all the way out here to be recruited by you."

The master looked back at his wife, "Well I don't mean to take her away, it's just..." Pema increased the strength of her glare. "I...we observed you, both of you, in the training area today, and..." Pema was nearly boring holes through Tenzin with her eyes now. "The agility you showed learning the basic techniques from Avan in such a short time was quite remarkable! Most new acolytes would spend a couple weeks on one, maybe two, forms and still not quite achieve what we observed. I just felt obligated to say something." Pema turned down her attack.

They paused briefly and Ziara scanned the table in embarrassment, having now captured everyone's attention. "Master Tenzin, I...huh, I don't know what to say. I guess I had a very good teacher," she said shifting her glance toward Avan.

Tenzin decided to sit behind, but between the two of them. "I don't mean to diminish Avan, as he too was able to pick up the knowledge much faster than is typical, but what I observed is something much deeper. You may not be a bender, but, somehow, I believe there must be innate knowledge deep within you Ziara of which you may not be aware." Tenzin put on a more relaxed guise. "I'm sorry, I know you are visiting for pleasure, but as the master of the island, I felt compelled to at least bring this up to you. I would be ever grateful if you simply consider the offer." With that, Tenzin rejoined Pema who whispered some words to him that appeared to be just slightly disapproving. Shortly thereafter, the people in the hall began to dissipate, cleaning up what was left of the meal and returning to their daily work.

"Do you two need anything?" Pema asked, poking her head through the curtain to the kitchen area. "No, thank you," Avan answered. After she disappeared once again, the two of them were left alone in the hall. Few words had crossed their lips since the discussion with Tenzin as they both were trying to digest what he said, each from their own perspective.

"What...," they both started in unison. They smiled at one another due to the blundered exchange. "You first," Ziara suggested.

"I was just wondering what you thought about Tenzin said," Avan stated. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but he is right about how quickly you picked up the training," he lowered his voice and eyes slightly, "I guess I was a bit too caught up just being with you."

Ziara lightly kissed his cheek at the comment. "You really think there is something special about me?" she asked.

Avan nodded and grinned, "There always has been, but, yes, I think Tenzin is right. I have no idea what he is thinking, but maybe from an air bending perspective too."

"Did you set all this up to rack up points with me?" Ziara asked, placing another light kiss on Avan's cheek.

"Yep, I've been paying Asami to develop a 'learn airbending techniques while you sleep' device that we planted in your place back when we first met in the hopes you'd come here and Tenzin would see you to set up this whole thing!" Ziara replied to the comment with a stiff punch to the shoulder. They both sat back and laughed for a few moments.

"I'm not sure what to say about what Tenzin just told me..."

Avan held Ziara's hands in his, "I really think he did not mean to put any pressure on you one way or the other. He always comes across as too serious. Though, I think he was serious about asking you to just think about it. No one expects you to make a decision today. I think the right decision for you will come in time, no need to fret over it."

Ziara enveloped Avan in a hug, "Thanks for that. So do you want to finish showing me around?"

"Sure."

* * *

They had been walking together for some hours, having seen nearly all of the island to one degree or another. A bit tired now, they sat in front of one of the private residences on the island with few other thoughts but one another on their minds. Ziara placed her hand on Avan's as they sat in silence.

After an easy pause, Avan spoke up, "Ziara, I need to be honest with you."

Her heart tightened slightly at the words and she shot up and stared at him. "I can't say that there are many 'good' conversations that start out like that Avan," she answered directly.

Avan threw up his arms, "No, I'm not going to start on about seeing someone else, that I'm dying or that I am leading some secret life...," he paused a moment, "...I mean not really." Ziara now had turned her body to face Avan and appeared a bit defensive.

"Not really?"

As Avan exhaled deeply, his face also dropped slightly, "It's kind of complicated."

Ziara relaxed a bit and responded simply, "Most of life is. Why don't you just start at the beginning?"

"Please understand that I didn't mean to not tell you my whole story, it just didn't seem like the kind of thing to mention when just getting to know someone or through a letter." A bit of pleading on his voice.

"I...can understand that."

"I told you that I lost my parents and family when I was younger." Ziara's look turned to one of deep concern for bringing up such a tragic event in his life. "This event was pretty much the start of the current chapter of my life." He looked her in the eyes. "What I didn't mention was that it was my father who murdered my mother and sister." Ziara covered her mouth to stop a gasp as Avan continued. "And...I-I was the one who killed my father." She was frozen by the admission. Seeing disbelief and fear creep into her face, he went on to explain the events of that night to her. As the story unfolded, her emotions mixed with that of concern and sorrow for what Avan had to go through.

"It was that tragedy when I first discovered I had the ability to bloodbend," he finished. They had both long since turned to face the expanse of the waters before them. Avan wasn't sure how long they sat there, motionless and silent, before Ziara made the first move.

Much to his surprise, Ziara embraced him tightly. "I don't think you can be faulted for what you did, Avan. I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to mention that so someone upon meeting them. Kind of a conversation stopper if there ever was one."

Silence fell again for a few minutes. "After that night, I had a rough go at life. I rather not recount it now, but to put it simply I fell in with the wrong kind of people for a while." He paused a moment, "If there is ever a part of my life that I truly regret, it was this period. I...I did some pretty stupid things. Eventually I sorted out my mind and my life and tried my best to turn things around, help those around me, those who helped my fix things in my life. It ended up being how I met Lin and subsequently everyone else. I owe my life as it is to a lot of people." He stopped again to look into Ziara's eyes, "I would understand if this is all too much to accept. I'm dumping a pretty dark history into your lap. Should, I um, take you back to the city?"

After some time averting her eyes from him, she swung her gaze back to him, "Avan, what is important is how you are now. We all have things we wish we could have changed or we wish never happened, but look at how you dealt with all of these things in your life. That is what makes you really special." A short time later, "Can you tell me a little bit about your bloodbending? Maybe I don't quite appreciate exactly what that means. I know it is fairly rare considering how little you hear about it, and what little you do hear about in stories or the news, well, it's usually pretty bad. But you don't seem to fit that mold, right?"

Avan drew in a breath and let it out. He had expected this to come up as bloodbending had quite a stigma attached and even with what he had learned, he wasn't sure there was a way to put the ability to control another being's life in a good light. He started slowly, "Well, at its base, bloodbending is simply an extension of waterbending, it...hmm how do I put this, it..."

"It saved my life," spoke a loud, firm voice from behind them, causing them both to jump and nearly fall out of their seats. They turned to see Asami standing in the doorway of the residence of which they had been sitting in front, Korra just behind her.

"Crap! Asami, you scared us half to death! Couldn't you have just said hello like a normal person!" Avan demanded, eliciting a smile from both of the women. They walked out to the front of the younger couple and stood for a moment as Korra eyed Avan, then the ground. He rolled his eyes and bent an earthen bench for them to sit on, facing them. "You know, Korra, you can earth bend too."

"Yes, but practice is always so important," replied Korra with a wide smile on her face. This earned her a eye roll from both Avan and Asami.

"Ziara, it is nice to see you again," said Asami.

"Yes, thanks again so much for arranging all this for me and my mom!" Ziara replied. "What were you saying about it saving your life? Bloodbending?"

Asami glanced at Avan. "You mean you haven't told her about the attack here and why we were ever in the Fire Nation in the first place?"

"I told her about the attack on the island and such, but I left out some of the details, which I was trying to explain just now."

Korra spoke up, "The group that attacked here tried to use Asami to get to me. They had used a combination of drugs and brainwashing and the night of the attack, they basically programmed her to kill me." Korra breathed in and out, still a bit troubled by the memory of that night. "In the end, the plot failed, but they drove her to kill herself, either to cover up or as punishment I don't know or care, and she was left with a mortal stab wound." Even the memory of the night brought brimming tears to Korra's eyes as her voice shook. "She was bleeding out right in my arms, and would have died that night if not for Avan." Asami placed a comforting hand over the Avatar's trembling hand.

Asami added, "The truth behind that night and Avan's true abilities have been...mostly suppressed. Being CEO of the largest corporation in the world does give some leverage with the media and politically." She and Korra both smiled at the statement. "Those of us close to him know what he is trying to do, but the media and general public would likely have instantly hung him, figuratively I hope, if it was widely known. Generally, people have a quite a fear of bloodbending. We have tried to be careful letting the knowledge get out."

"The not so distant memory of Amon in the city didn't help things either," Korra added. "So yeah, that quiet guy sitting next to you there is probably one of best, if not the best healers in the world owing to his application of bloodbending to healing. Not to mention one of barely handful of known bloodbenders in the world." Korra thought for a moment, "And I can tell you he works hard to not use his ability to solve any problem that arises, I mean, we were all captured, he could have just offed all our captors or made them attack each other. Instead we were all captured and I was tortured a bit." Asami slapped her palm to her forehead as Korra continued. "But he didn't, well he did fling some of them around, but that was how he ended up learning that they were being controlled, so it was okay and..." Asami finally cut off Korra realizing that all this information at once was a bit overwhelming and rambling.

"What Korra here is trying to say is that Avan does not use his abilities without thought, unlike some people here who are a bit more hot headed." Korra shot a glance over to Asami at the statement and gave her one of her patented pouts. Asami turned to her girlfriend and gave her quick peck on the cheek, melting away the look. Ziara began to laugh at the whole exchange that unfolded in front of her.

"What?" asked Korra.

"I just don't know what to say, I mean, I think I could always tell Avan was a thoughtful, level-headed person. He has been worried that all this past stuff is going to scare me off. And here, I have, arguably, the two of the most powerful people in the world vouching for him!"

Asami waved her finger at Ziara. "Careful, you're going to inflate this one's ego even further," she joked, thumbing towards Korra.

In the spur of the moment, she clasped Avan's face between her hands and turned him to give him such a passionate kiss that even Korra and Asami blushed a bit. "Avan, I feel like I know you better than anyone I have ever known, and I...I am, no, I have fallen in love with you."

Avan pulled Ziara into a hug, "I love you too."

After a few moments, Korra interjected lightly grabbing Asami's hand, "Maybe we should make an exit?"

"I'm sorry, please don't let us drive you off," said Avan as he glanced to an agreeing Ziara. After an unspoken exchange, they sat back down.

"So...ummm. Lost your family, killed father, spent time as a hoodlum in the slums of the Earth kingdom, helping vigilante, best healer in the world, brought Asami Sato, the Avatar's love, back to life and saved the Avatar. That's it right?" Ziara trailed off, looking and sounding quite impressed and overwhelmed at this point.

"Well...," said Korra.

"Well? There's something else?"

"It's just a little thing," she said holding up her thumb and index finger fairly close to one another with a somewhat devious smile in the background. "There is this other small thing that we haven't quite gotten to the bottom of yet; about Avan and I also having some kind of shared connection through past Avatars." Korra gave the widest grim possible baring all her teeth while Asami smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Connection with Avatars, like he's an Avatar too?!"

"No, no, not like that, well, we don't think it's like that. There's no sign of him having a connection to Raava or anything, just...some...two (for now?)...of...my...past...lives..." Korra trailed off. "Boy that does sound like kind of a big thing when you put it all together doesn't it. Asami nods, putting her hand on Korra's shoulder, "You think, just a bit, Kor?"

Ziara, a bit exasperated now, slowly turns to Avan who has also pasted a smile across his face, slowly nodding. "Oooookay, so connection to dead Avatars, check. That's it right?" Avan nodded, "Yeah, I think that about sums it all up. See it didn't feel like the kind of thing to just put down in a letter."

"Okay, THAT I will give you," said Ziara putting her face into her palms. "What have I gotten myself into..."

Asami took Ziara's hands in hers. "Welcome to Team Avatar, Ziara," Asami said with a smirk on her face, "...and all it entails." She finished looking over to her girlfriend who was having difficulty getting the silly grin off her face after the whole exchange.

* * *

The two couples relaxed and talked for some time, such periods of true down time were rare for Korra and Asami. It was an odd combination, but somehow the mix of personalities worked well together and time just flitted away. At some point, Korra and Avan drifted off for a quick sparring session by the ocean, leaving Asami and Ziara together, though it took some time before the two of them really even noticed. The two of them eventually settled into a comfortable silence, watching their respective interests attack one another. The personality differences were so apparent it was almost laughable. Korra was obviously the more passionate, emotionally charged between the two. Even an untrained eye could see how she threw herself into the battle, sometimes allowing herself to become a bit too 'in the moment'. Avan had a cooler head, more calculated in his attacks and rarely showed frustration even when cornered by Korra, which only helped to charge Korra's emotions further.

"She is actually much more calm and collected now than when we first met," said Asami. Ziara simply threw her a look of mild disbelief. "Really," she reiterated. Asami leaned back and took on a nostalgic look, "It seems like a long time ago, but it was only about...," she thinks for a moment, sticking the tip of her tongue out in thought, just slightly, but enough for the cute expression to catch Korra's eye, leaving an opening which Avan quickly exploited, "...eight years? Maybe it has been a while."

Asami recounted some of her early encounters with a hot-headed teenage Korra that felt the need to not only solve everything through bending, but also to prove herself to the world. "Rush in, barely a thought behind it. She has changed so much since we first met."

"I wonder how things will end up for us," Ziara comments to herself, but aloud.

"Hmmm?" answers Asami, a wily smile on her lips.

"Oh, I don't mean, I mean I don't know where 'we' will end up," the younger woman stammered with a bit of a blush appearing on her cheeks.

Asami chuckled a bit, "Don't worry, your thoughts are safe with me."

Ziara took in a breath, "We haven't really talked at all about, you know, where things are going exactly."

"Well, that kiss you laid on him earlier sure leads me to believe that you have at least some idea where things are going!" jested Asami. "I think you and I both know that he has roughly the same idea as you do too," she added with reassurance. "Even if he's a little slower to realize it himself."

"It's part of his cute innocence I guess." Her cheeks deepened in color and she turned away slightly. "I just...I just mean that with the distance and all, we keep in touch a lot, but I still have my job and he has his whole work here in Republic City. This whole thing with Tenzin is a new wrench in the works, I don't even know what to think about that...," she caught her breath a moment. "All of that is nothing compared to what I'm sure you and Korra have to deal with, but just how do you do it?"

Asami leaned back and looked up into the sky to think a moment, "I'll admit, it sometimes isn't easy, but we have a lot more flexibility than you think. We are both in the city which helps of course. Even with my position in the company, I have learned to delegate a lot of the work that I don't really need to handle personally, which was one of the most difficult things for me really. I'm a take charge kind of woman." Asami flexed her guns at the statement a bit, again catching Korra's attention, for which she paid a price.

"Yeah, I gathered that," she responded with a smile.

"Korra has been learning, trying, to not jump at every last request she hears. She is the Avatar, but she realizes, better now I think, that the world cannot depend on her alone to solve every minor issue nor can she be there to prevent every problem that comes up." She pauses a moment, "The price of many sleepless nights to spend time with one another is another sacrifice I suppose."

"That doesn't really seem like all that much of a sacrifice to me," commented Ziara. Eliciting a slight smile from Asami.

"No, it really isn't."

The two benders finally finished up and returned to their other halves, whose deep conversation did not go unnoticed. Asami and Ziara, almost in unison, took on a scolding tone, "What in the world did you do to each other!?" Korra and Avan just looked over one another and shrugged their shoulders, both looking as filthy as ever, covered almost head to toe in mud and sweat.

"Well, you see...," started Korra. "...we started with just some waterbending practice, then one of us decided to earth bend as well."

"That was you Korra," interjected Avan.

"Well, okay, so you know, a bunch of dirt and water."

"Why don't you tell them about tornado?"

Korra scratched the back of her neck, "Yeah, so there might have been a tiny, mini-twister that somehow happened."

"Think giant whirlwind of mud is more like it!"

Korra then took an accusatory tone, "Hey, it was you that decided to feed the thing with all the earth and water you could muster!"

"It did fizzle out the winds right?"

"And then where did you think all that flying mud would go?!"

The two benders stood quietly for a moment, trying to look innocent while their other halves shook their heads. "We did get a good workout!" added Korra.

"What are we going to do with you?" speculated Asami as she took Korra's mud-caked hand and led her back toward their residence.

"Korra, why don't you clean up? We are going to have dinner with Avan and Ziara."

"We are? I thought you wanted to...,"

"I just have some stuff I need to take care of at work first," Asami turned her head to add.

"But wasn't your idea to take some time off from work and everything else, for the two of us?" Korra accused.

"It's important stuff that I just realized." Asami stared at Korra's puppy dog eyes and adorable pout and despite all the mess, she gave her a tender kiss. Then Asami moved in close, touching cheek to cheek to whisper into Korra's ear in a sultry voice, "Just get cleaned up and don't worry we will still have the evening for ourselves." Korra's smile grew wide as she ducked into the building.

Asami then turned her attention back to two standing some distance away and hollered, "Ziara, Avan, so dinner tonight, okay." It was delivered as a statement, not a question. "Let's meet by the docks in say an hour." Asami peered into the residence, through the open door, at something only she could make out, "...two hours! Ziara, you look perfect. Avan, well, you need to clean up!" With that she ducked into the residence and closed the door behind her.

Avan and Ziara looked at each other a moment, "So...dinner with Asami and Korra I guess?" Avan questioned. "What did the two of you have planned out?"

"Honestly, I had no idea. She never mentioned anything to me."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Oh...nothing really. Maybe our benders came up once or twice." She gave Avan a bashful smile and grabbed his dirty hand, "Come on, you need to get cleaned up. Knowing Asami, she'll pick somewhere nice to go and mud-suit is rarely on the list of allowed dress codes!" The two of them then hustled off towards Avan's room.

* * *

Much to everyone's surprise, Asami's place of choice was, in fact, a dive, a burger joint. Their mouths started watering before then even stepped inside and Korra was visibly excited. "It's been too long since we've gone to BBP!" Korra exclaimed earlier when they had pulled up. Asami claimed that they had the best burgers and the best fries of anywhere in the city. Later, after sinking their teeth into them, neither Avan nor Ziara would argue. Asami was warmly greeted when they stepped inside, she obviously knew the owner and staff very well, despite not having come by in a while.

"Bo's Burger Palace," announced Asami as they stepped in.

"Wait, does this have anything to do with…," said Avan before being cut off.

"No, no connection to Bolin," said Asami smiling back at him.

The four of them sat together in a booth in the corner and chatted a bit about the place. After a little while, Avan decided to ask, "Are there menus?" Asami and Korra laughed to one another. "No menus," responded Asami, "in this place you have two decisions to make, cheese or no cheese and what you want to drink!" It was a short time later when a waitress came by, greeting Asami and Korra like family. Asami introduced Ziara and Avan to her and hollered back a greeting to the cook.

"The usuals for the two of you?" asked the waitress to Asami and Korra. They both nodded, but as she turned to Avan and Ziara, Korra added, "Actually, make mine a double tonight, I'm starving!" This elicited a raised eyebrow from both Asami and the waitress. She paused at the younger couple. They eventually responded a bit apprehensively with "no cheese." Asami added a pitcher of the house I.P.A. for the table before the waitress disappeared. "They make their own brew here too!" she said excitedly.

Avan and Ziara's jaws hit the table upon seeing the size of their own burgers and then nearly fell over witnessing Korra dig into her 'double', which was clearly more deserving of a title like, 'behemoth' or 'gargantuan'. The talk dwindled as they dug into their meals. Some time later, after stuffing themselves with what they all agreed were in fact the best burgers and best fries any of them had _ever_ had and polishing off a second pitcher, Asami requested their attention.

"So I admit that I had an ulterior motive tonight having you guys out to dinner." The two of them exchanged puzzled glances at Asami's introduction. "Avan, you saved my life and I don't think Korra or I could ever tell you how much your actions meant to us." Korra nodded in agreement. "And we all know too well that even with the risks you took doing it, you'd probably never ask either of us for anything in return, even if deep inside you really wanted to, but that is okay, it's just the type of person you are. So I made some calls and spoke with Mr. Hazar at Slagwerker International." The mention of Ziara's workplace shot concerned, but curious, looks onto their faces. "I will spare you all the details right now, but Ziara, if you are interested, we can make arrangements for you to stay in Republic City and you can take up a position with Future Industries...call it a corporate exchange program. The offer is open to your mother as well. Plus, before you start thinking too much about how everything will work. There is no need to sell your home in the Fire Nation or anything like that and the offer to come here, or return if things just don't work out, is on the table, no strings attached. Unless you want them." She gave Ziara a wink at the last comment.

Both of them were speechless at the offer Asami had arranged and just sit gawking back and forth at each other, Korra and Asami. After what probably felt like ages, Ziara only managed to utter a few words, "Asami, I-I don't know what to say..."

"Just 'thanks' is enough and that you'll consider it."

Ziara nods mechanically. "Thanks, I'll definitely consider all of this."

"We don't mean to put pressure on you or anything, but we both felt the two of you should have the opportunity to see where things lead."

Korra chimes in with a smile, "Frankly, watching and listening to the two of you, I can't see how things would end up anywhere but good."

Asami continues, "You and your mom can continue working however you see fit. Also, if you wanted to, you would be here so you could even take Tenzin up on his offer in your free time and see where that leads."

"Asami, I-I, this is just too much! Why me?!"

"Like I said, Avan would never ask us for anything, so the next best thing I could come up with is to do something for someone that is close to him. You just happen to be the lucky girl!" Asami sits back, a very smug smile on her face. "Please don't over value all this really. A woman in my position..."

"With the Avatar!" adds Korra.

"...and with the Avatar. It is pretty easy to pull strings. And, by the way, I want you to know that Mr. Hazar drive a hard bargain. He wished for you continue working for him."

The four of them eventually collected themselves to head back to the island. Ziara and Avan lagged well behind, occasionally discussing this and that, mired in thought. Korra held Asami's hand, "That was quite a thing you did for them you know. Do you think it will work out?" Asami thought just a moment, "All I did was open up the opportunity for them to move forward a bit more easily together, the rest is up to them." She reached around and pulled Korra in close by her hips as they headed back toward the city docks. "Sometimes you just have to seize the opportunity."


	14. Delirium

A few months passed by...

There was a light knock on Avan's room door. He and Ziara were cuddled up reading on a small couch that he had added to his still spartan layout. They were warm and comfortable and both fully engrossed in their respective stories and felt no urgency to get up. Another knock, this time with a bit more behind it. "Avan? Are you here?" They heard a voice say. It was Tenzin, no mistaking. Avan marked his place and freed himself from Ziara's legs. Tenzin was not one to drop in, at least on him, without good reason. He opened the door to find Tenzin, Kya and Korra all standing outside. Ziara poked her head above her text and upon seeing the group also sat up and focused her attention on them.

"I don't mean to be intruding," said Tenzin. Avan motioned for the small group to enter. Ziara greeted the group and moved to sit on the bed leaving the couch and Avan's desk chair for the visitors.

"Oh no, we were just relaxing, getting in some reading. What's going on? The three of you coming here, now, feels a bit ominous to me." Their glances back and forth to one another didn't help matters.

Tenzin sat at Avan's desk and fidgeted a bit with pencil laying there. "Yes, well, as you already know, I had been in contact with various members of the White Lotus regarding your ability to call upon both water and earth bending. It certainly is a curiosity, and they could not find any historical evidence of others with such ability, except the Avatars themselves of course. After some initial excitement, most considered it a result of the increased flow of spiritual energy as a result of the new spirit portals; perhaps just like the resurgence of air bending, but more rare. After Korra reported what seemed to be a spiritual connection between yourself, Avatar Kuruk and Korra, however, they became very interested in you."

Kya looked to Avan with mild concern. "Avan, they requested to meet you in person in the South Pole, specifically our mom, Master Katara. While no one intends to force you to go of course, I don't think this is one of those invitations that I would recommend ignoring."

"I believe they would like to speak with you for themselves to learn what you may know about the circumstances surrounding your bending. I expect that they may also wish to delve into your past, spiritually. The fact Korra lost connection with the past Avatars is certainly unprecedented in itself, but now finding an individual with some sort of connection to that past is surprising to say the least," said Tenzin in his calming voice.

Avan glanced around at those in the room, "When did they want to see me?"

Kya answered, "As soon as possible, they have actually already arranged an airship, available the day after tomorrow." Kya looked at Avan with the eyes of a mother, "Avan, if the idea of this makes you uncomfortable, you know that all of us here will support your decision."

Avan responded quickly and firmly, "It's fine, I'll go. Honestly, I expected something like this for quite a while. I know I am a bit of an oddity around here."

"Oh don't say it like that," said Kya smiling and messing up Avan's hair, "we will make the necessary arrangements." Tenzin and Kya got up and headed out, while Korra stayed back. Before she left the doorway, Kya turned back to Ziara, "I know it is short notice, but you of course are more than welcome to come as well."

"Oh, thank you, but I don't know, South Pole and all; I sometimes feel chilly just in the nights of Republic City," answered Ziara. Kya nodded and left.

Korra remained on the couch alone while the couple looked on. "I know what that's like. Even though Asami was born here in the city, she still has that Fire Nation blood and also claims it's cool even here. Sometimes I get sweaty just looking at her." Avan smirks at the comment.

"I'm sure it's just because of how she is dressed." Avan's quip brings a slight red tinge to Korra's cheeks and a smile to her lips.

"Don't worry about the South Pole. I am actually excited for you to meet Gran Gran. It's been awhile since even I have been able to travel there. I think you will really like her. She is an amazing water bender and pioneered so many healing techniques, I bet you will have a lot to discuss." Korra paused a moment and took on a more serious expression. "I'm sorry if I got you pulled into this White Lotus business and all. When we returned from the Earth Kingdom, I felt the need to discuss what had happened with Tenzin and I guess he felt obligated to report it as well. I never intended for it to..."

Avan cut her off, "Don't worry about it. In fact, aren't you curious about this weird connection too? I mean, the bending is one thing, but this is a whole other level. I'd like to at least know that I am not slowly going crazy or something!"

Now laying down Avan's bed, Ziara chimed in, almost chuckling to herself, "Yeah, I would like to make sure of that too!"

"I'll have to admit, I'd also like to understand a bit about what might be happening. I mean what if there are other people out there with connections to the Avatars...maybe dozens of people walking around with an Avatar rattling around in their head, none the wiser!" Korra hopped up from the couch. "Anyway, I will let you guys get back to your reading," she said, throwing up accusatory air quotes around 'reading'. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she departed.

"Well this should be interesting," said Avan. "Think you can come along?' he asked Ziara.

"I need to make sure there is nothing pressing at work, but, yes, I think it would fun. Maybe we can make a little vacation out of it." Avan was happy to hear the excitement in her voice and at the prospect of getting away from the routines of the city.

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They would be landing soon. Avan pulled Ziara close on the deck of the air ship. The air had grown much cooler throughout the trip, but now that the South Pole was finally approaching, the scenery was worth the chill. The pale skinned, Fire Nation native was suffering the worst of it. Even bundled up in a thick coat from Kya, with gloves, hood and boots, she still shivered occasionally from the stiff wind.

"It's just blue and white as far as the eye can see, but it is still so beautiful," mentioned Ziara.

"It's home," said Korra, a strong hints of nostalgia dripping from her words. They turned to her and were a bit taken by the whimsical expression she had upon her face, returning to a place which was still home and held many memories. "I don't visit as much as I should or want to." She thinks for few moments, "It may have been a year or more since I was last here. My mom is going to ream me for that." She moved up next to the huddling couple, fully relaxed, warm in just a medium weight coat and assessed the two of them. "Don't worry, it may be cold outside, but everyone keeps their homes are extra toasty and the food is always piping hot!" she emphasized to Ziara. "I hope you like it."

The small group began to collect their things after a soft landing. Tonraq and Senna were were among a small group there to greet them.

"Mom, dad!" Korra yelled as she ran to them. "I'm glad you two are okay." Even Korra was surprised at the tears which welled up in her eyes. Sniffling, "I'm sorry I haven't been down here to visit since...well since..."

"Oh sweetie, we know that you have many other things to worry about." Senna wrapped the sobbing Avatar in her arms and Tonraq grabbed the two of them. "There's no need for the tears, we just talked a couple days ago and you know that we fully recovered from all that business some time ago."

Korra recomposed herself and gave a last sniffle, "I don't know what came over me. I guess just being home again and seeing you after everything that had happened." She finally put on a wily smile and rounded up both of them into a bear hug, "I love you both so much!"

"We know honey!" Tonraq struggled a bit getting the words out, "Now could you please put us back down?"

After a few more short exchanges of pleasantries, Korra waved at Avan and Ziara who had been standing back a bit observing the small reunion. "You guys, don't be shy!" She looked back toward her parents, "I guess you guys already know Avan, and this is Ziara."

"It is very nice to meet both of you," Ziara offered.

Senna came forward and grabbed her hands, "Oh, she's adorable." She looked toward Avan, "You two look so nice together." The couple's cheeks warmed a bit from the attention.

"Where are Gran Gran or the other White Lotus members?" Korra asked. Tonraq's face took on a more serious look as he glanced back and forth between Senna and Korra.

"They will be meeting with Avan later today." He now refocused on Avan. "Avan, please don't be worried, but they may have some very pointed questions about your abilities. They don't intend any harm or disrespect, but they do not know you as we do and, like most, are a bit suspicious and concerned about your abilities."

Korra gave her parents a suspicious look, "What do you mean by all that?"

Tonraq spoke up. "Korra, honestly, I don't know myself, but the few members who have spoken to me at all have been very quiet about Avan's visit. I just sense that there is a layer of suspicion riding through the group."

Avan interrupted, "It's okay, Korra. I can kind of understand their perspective on things."

"No, it's not okay! What more does he need to do to earn the trust of people!" Korra began to rave. Avan put his hand on Korra's shoulder and motioned to calm her. They could all see that she was visibly agitated at the hit of allegation against Avan, but she soon settled down. After some time discussing what they both didn't know and couldn't prepare for, Senna rounded them up and they led them toward their home.

Korra explained how despite the fact Tonraq was chief of the Southern Water Tribe, they had always lived fairly simply. Unlike in many of the other kingdoms, the royal palace was typically reserved for formal and state affairs, meetings, trials and the like. They also were surprised that for the Souther Water Tribe, most of the government oversight was handled by the council, with the chief having only a minor role.

Senna had prepared a wide array of Southern dishes for the guests, seal and fish, roasted, jerked and pickled, a traditional Water Tribe soup, (in)famous Sea Prune stew and two varieties of seaweed noodles along with an array of breads and pastries. As they walked in to see the delicious spread, their mouths watered. Korra incited them, "Stop gawking at it and dig in everyone!" They all sat around the table, cozily. Senna was happy to see her dining room full once again with the sounds of youth, all munching away. She was reminded of when Korra was younger and still living there.

The group had a slow meal, talking and laughing about the goings on. Both Senna and Tonraq voiced disappointment that Asami had not joined them. Senna prodded a bit, asking Korra when they were planning to take their relationship to the 'next level', in such a way to make her feel as uncomfortable as she could, eliciting a laugh from both her parents. Korra let it be known that Asami was planning to try and visit in the next few days with Kya and Tenzin, but they were held up due to some business to which needed to attend before leaving the city.

Avan had long known of Korra's ability to eat her fill, Asami often made jokes about their nights out, but he was surprised to see that Ziara was going nearly dish for dish with Korra as the night grew late. Avan thought to himself, "Did they agree to some kind of competition while I wasn't paying attention?" Korra did not miss the fact either and casually, but now with some purpose behind it, continued to fill her bowl from the family dishes and slowly savor it. When she was feeling her own fill, she decided to finally open up the Sea Prune stew which had so far stayed sealed in its special cook pot. Tonraq, Senna and Korra all inhaled the rather unique smell and filled a bowl with the thick, brownish, purplish concoction. Ziara paused a moment, but when she caught Korra eyeing her, she too dug in, ladling herself a couple extra sea prunes for good measure. Avan could see their eyes watching Ziara as she put the first spoonful to her mouth, not quite sure what to expect. In it went.

After furrowing her brow a few times and making a few small hums in thought, she released the verdict, "These are amazing! I have to get the recipe!" Korra's jaw dropped and Tonraq let out a huge laugh. He turned to Avan, "My boy, this woman is a keeper. If I wasn't already married!" Senna gave him a stiff, but playful, nudge to his side. Korra's parents put down their bowls. Senna commented, "To be honest, even we don't really like sea prunes all that much, but Korra just loves them so I have always made them." She turned to Ziara, "It's nice to see she has found someone else to share this oddity with." The two younger women turned to each other a moment and laughed as they polished off their stew.

Avan measured out a small bowl of the stew and gave it a suspicious sniff. The smell actually seemed fairly pleasant to him, so he took a bite, not noticing all four of the others watching for a reaction. "I think he's turning...purple," Senna commented. Avan forced a deep swallow to take down the bite that had lingered in his mouth, followed by a large swig of water to wash his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he said, "it was...ummm...a very unique dish."

"Don't worry, it is an acquired taste as you can see," Senna offered.

Clean up was quick with everyone helping out. Ziara naturally found herself with Senna with a cup of hot tea. She was suddenly greeted with the realization that since they had come to the house, she had not once felt a chill and was happy for it. Korra and Tonraq rough housed, making up for lost time. After the clean up, Avan had filtered outside where he sat, huddled up, staring at the night sky. It was so vivid here away from the constant light of the cities in which he had always lived. He wondered about what was going to happen tomorrow and what exactly the White Lotus wanted from him.

Everything went dark, from the stars in the sky to Korra's home. He could only feel the firmness of the snow beneath him as he fumbled about. He tried to stand, but felt bound, and he could not bend to free himself. Earth and ice held his legs firmly to the ground. When he tried to yell but nothing came across his lips. The air which he drew in felt thick, like trying to suck in mud. He felt a constricting pressure increasing on his chest while icy needles seemed to be drilling into his mind. Panic crept through his blood, until...

"Avan. Avan!" He was being shaken rather violently. As he began to feel warmer, he saw Ziara, hands on his shoulders, staring directly into his eyes.

"Ziara?! What are you? What happened?" he asked, completely puzzled.

"You can't just go outside here at night like that. It's a good thing you didn't go far. Why would you walk out without telling anyone?"

Still trying to get his bearing on what happened, "I just wanted to get some fresh air for a few moments. Did I fall asleep? I swear I just left a minute or two ago. I was looking at the stars and then nothing." He noticed Korra was standing behind Ziara as well.

She gave him a puzzling look, "Avan, we've been looking for you for the better part of half an hour. I don't know when you actually left because you didn't tell anyone!"

He glanced around and realized that he could no longer see any of the homes near Korra's parents' house that he left. There was just snow as far as he could see in any direction. "I don't understand, I swear I was just outside the house for just a minute or two. Did you see anything around me when you found me? Anything strange?" Both Ziara and Korra glanced at one another.

"I didn't see or feel anything out of the ordinary," replied Korra. The group looked back and forth at one another.

"Maybe I just need to get a good night's rest. I must have fallen asleep I guess, bad dream." Even he didn't believe his own words.

"Come on, let's head back and go to sleep. My parents would be so upset of they lost a guest on their first night!"

Once back in the house and warmed up, they all turned in. It was already the middle of the night now and everyone was exhausted. Avan and Ziara had decided to sleep in separate rooms out of respect to Korra's parents, though truly neither would have cared. In the wee hours of the morning, Avan was still not able to fall asleep. His mind was teeming with thoughts, trying to figure out what had happened earlier. He felt on edge for some reason and could almost taste an unknown fear just closing his eyes. For him, the night just dragged on, relentless. Then once, his eyes drifted closed and he felt his body jump and the next thing he knew, the sun was shining brightly on the house. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, confused. "Where did the night go?" he thought. He wobbled as he stood, still exhausted and he could feel a fog gumming up his thoughts. His mind drifted through the night before and to events in the past, in and out, without his permission.

There was a light knock on the door that brought him back to the present.

"Avan?" It was Ziara. "I'm coming in," she announced quietly as the door slowly crept open. Avan pulled the covers over himself. "Everyone is up, aren't you going to come down for breakfast?" She waited a few moments for a response. "Korra's dad says that the meeting with the White Lotus members had to be pushed back another day, so we are free today to visit here." She was still not getting much response, save for a few grunts and sighs. "Avan, you are not being very polite to our hosts!" she scolded as she yanked the covers off.

His face was drawn and he had dark circles around his eyes. "Avan, you look terrible! Did you not sleep at all last night?!" She moved in to hug him.

"I don't know what is happening to me. I can't get my mind to turn off. It's like what happened last night, I laid here tired, unable to fall asleep. I swear I blinked my eyes and all of a sudden it was light out." He drew in a deep breath, "I feel horrible." He buried his face into Ziara's chest and she patted his head.

"Should I go down and tell them you aren't feeling well?"

"No, no. I will get through this. Maybe I can get a nap in later. We should visit the village here. Who knows when we will be able to visit the South Pole again." He finally stood up; wavering slightly, Ziara made a slight motion towards him, but he held up his hand, "Thanks, I'll be okay. Just give me a few minutes to clean up and I'll come down." She nodded and paused at the entrance to the room. "It's okay, I'll be down in a minute." She stood in the doorway a bit longer. He finally noticed the pink cotton sleeper she was still wearing, complete with fuzzy, lop-eared rabbit slippers. "You look really cute," he jested, though serious. With that, she smiled and left and headed to rejoin the others. Avan stared at himself in the mirror in his room. "I do look like hell," he thought to himself. He bent some water onto himself and washed up. Checking himself once again, he determined that he still looked bad, but was satisfied with the improvement and headed down into the fray. His appearance did not go unnoticed. Korra asked if he was feeling okay, but in the end he only admitted to getting a poor night's rest.

Korra decided to stay back and visit with her parents. They all insisted that Avan and Ziara head into the village for a couple hours to get away from all the 'old folks' as Korra's dad had put it. Korra, of course, voiced some objection to being lumped with that group, but was drowned out by Senna, who was telling them to take their time and enjoy the city.

They were both quite surprised at the size of the city; although, it made a bit more sense once it was explained to them that the vast majority of the Southern Water Tribe people lived in the city, only a tiny fraction stayed out on their own in small settlements throughout the South Pole. A second feature that impressed them was the detail in all the buildings. From a distance, they all appeared to be simple 'blocks of ice' as Avan put it, but in the light of day and up close, they were intricately detailed. Many of the moderately sized homes had details that would likely rival that of some of the royal buildings in the Fire Nation, though lacking the contrast of colors. "Carving out ice is much easier than having to shape and carve wood, metal and stone," mentioned Avan.

It was mid-day and the city and markets were bustling with the daily activity. People buying and selling wide varieties of goods. Trade was obviously strong in the capital, they both spotted many goods from the Earth and Fire nations, as well as Republic City. They were both surprised at the number of people out and about given the temperature, but as Korra had told them on several occasions, the people were just used to it.

The shopkeepers were all very kind to both of them. They chalked it up to the fact that they stuck out as tourists being so bundled up compared to those more accustomed to the South Pole; Ziara doubly so. Moving form store to store, they mostly stuck to browsing, but picked up a few items here and there. Avan took an opportunity to purchase a new pair of white mittens for Ziara who had mentioned about her hands being cold at least a few times. They also took every opportunity to try local delicacies as they ran into them, especially the sweets. They both discovered a pastry that was filled with some kind of sweetened seaweed. Despite the description being quite off-putting, they gave it a try and both loved them.

It was mid-afternoon and Ziara noticed that Avan was looking rather ragged. "Do you want to head back to the house, you're looking kind of beat."

Avan shook his head, "No, no, I want you to enjoy your..." He broke off and clutched his head as a headache washed over him and his vision closed in slightly. Ziara quickly grabbed his arm to steady him before they sat down on a nearby bench. She gave him a piercing look. "...maybe we should head back," he concluded.

As they made their way back to Korra's parents' house, Avan's condition quickly deteriorated. He stumbled several times even with Ziara doing her best to steady him. She was well aware of people staring at them, but barely spent a care on it. Her concern only grew when she looked into his eyes and was met only with a blank stare.

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"...maybe we should head back," he agreed. He could feel a dizziness come over him and something almost like tendrils probing back from his eyes into his head. The feeling seemed to disappear almost as quickly as it came, but there was still a dull ache in his mind. As they made their way back through the city, a chill rocketed through his spine and he was left with a feeling of fear, similar to what we recalled from the night before. Avan sensed that they were being watched, first from the rooftops then from the alleys, putting him on edge.

There was a flash of black out of the corner of his eye. "There is someone following us!" he yelled to Ziara. She only responded with a glance back in his direction. He pulled her hand to move faster, but only met resistance. "Ziara, we need to move now. I don't know how, but they found us here!"

"Who found us?" a voice responded.

"The one who attacked the air temple, who attacked Korra and Asami. What could they be after now?! I thought we took care of their organization! Why now?! Why here?!" He was becoming more agitated as Ziara didn't seem to be nearly as concerned with the danger as he. He pulled her down one alley, then another in an attempt to lose their pursuers, but it seemed like every turn just led them down the same repetitive street until Avan found themselves blocked by a figure dressed in black, as those they encountered in the Earth kingdom, now some time ago. He wheeled around only to find themselves blocked in by another.

"What do you want?" he demanded, only to receive no response. He cradled Ziara against the wall of the building in an effort to shield her. Seconds turned into minutes as they stood there, near motionless. Avan could feel tension creep up his neck and permeate his mind, as if some inevitable conflict were growing nearer.

Suddenly, there was a flash in the air as a thin blade of ice cut down in front of him. He barely dodged its edge; only the heightened sense from his connection to the water with Korra's extensive training saved him what could have been a wicked slash along his body. "How did they approach me so quickly?!" he thought. He pushed back against Ziara, trying to protect her as best he could. Another blade narrowly missed and was stuck into the side of the building.

His first instinct was to pull for earth to block his opponents, but quickly he realized there was nothing for him to bend, only ice as far as he could feel. In this moment, he wished he had spent more time training his water-bending to better handle ice, as it had always been a point of weakness for him. Seeing their adversary winding up for another blow, he both bent and physically smashed against the building's wall, causing a deluge of snow to fall around them, distracting the assailants. Lunging forward, he landed a stunning blow to the mid-section of one, then the jaw of another. He did not take time to even feel the pain that was now radiating from his clenched fist. With one doubled over and the other reeling back, he grabbed Ziara's hand and pulled her towards a now clear path from the alley.

As they ran, he felt Ziara pull back as he lost his grip on her hand. He turned only see that one of attackers had taken hold of her. Just as Avan went to lunge forward, he froze as the attacker brought an icy blade to her pale neck. "What do you want from us?!" Avan again demanded, only to be answered with silence. Time stood still around them until a glint of light reflecting off the attacker's wicked smile triggered something in Avan. He could feel the heat of anger boiling up inside him, the strength of which he had never felt even when his family was being taken from him. Without any action, the icy blade, just grazing Ziara's neck, exploded into a fine mist of powder. He tackled the man in black, knocking over Ziara as well and began to strike at him repeatedly, until there was no movement left in the body. He was in shock for a moment as he saw that his hands were covered in blood, but he willed himself past the wrenching feeling in his stomach.

Avan picked himself up, pulling Ziara along with him. They had finally made their way outside the city proper and were in the open and on the way to the house. He hoped that as they would approach, the pursuit would be called off. They were just in sight of the house when another group of attackers sprung from the snow. Avan turned around to see that they were coming from all directions to surround them. He again reached for Ziara, only to now find no one by his side. "How did they take her so quickly?" Avan tried assaulting them with snow and ice, but his ice bending was no match for their combined strength. In no time, he looked to find himself tightly surrounded. The attackers all wielded swords of ice, pointing them towards him. A feeling of desperation came over him. Just when they pulled back to strike, he refocused on them, on their bodies, their blood. Avan was about to unleash his furious anger upon them directly when he suddenly felt a sting to the back of his neck. Everything became a haze, then dim, and a quiet voice began to arise from the turmoil of the fight.

"Avan..." he heard. "Avan!" It became slightly louder. His arms, legs and body began to feel cold. He tried to concentrate, to clear his murky vision and focus on the source of the call; it took everything he had left. His eyes began to recapture the light and a blurry figure appeared. He tried to reach out his hand, but found his limbs unwilling to follow orders.

"Who...," he spoke weakly, barely able to recognize his own voice. He could feel the pressure of a warm hand on his cheek and the brush of breath across his eyes and lips. It was the last thing he could remember before everything went dark.


	15. Trials

It was several hours later when Avan finally opened his eyes. The room was dimly lit, but the light still felt harsh. He was disoriented at first, thinking he may have been captured or anything but being back in Korra's home. Once he was able to gain some focus on his surroundings, he sat up in the bed only to find himself light-headed and dizzy, quickly collapsing back onto the soft mattress. A familiar form snapped to his side and a warm, light pressure met his forehead.

"Avan, it's me, Ziara. You're safe now. You're in Korra's house," she whispered in a gentle tone. As he laid there with his eyes closed, he felt her gentle hands caressing his forehead and filtering through his hair, now a mess. They sat like this for some time before he finally cracked open his eyes once again. He stayed down this time and turned carefully toward her.

"Ziara...you're safe, thank goodness," he said quietly.

"Safe? What do you mean?"

"Those men, I thought they took you away. I tried as hard as I could, but..." he trailed off seeing the confusion on her face.

"Avan, I don't know... Try to get some rest, we will sort out what happened when you feel better." He rolled over and her gentle strokes on his back quickly lulled him back to sleep. Unlike the night before, it was a restful sleep.

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When he awoke again, the room was bright with the light of the sun filtering in through the partially shaded window, but the light no longer cut into him as before. Remembering what happened last time, Avan sat up slowly and kept his head straight. He smiled when he saw Ziara peacefully asleep on a chair in the corner nearest the bed, stirring occasionally. A slight feeling of guilt came over him when he noticed the uncomfortable looking position that she had settled into, but he was glad that she was with him and safe. As he watched her chest slowly rise and fall with her slow, methodical breathing, he tried to recall what had happened the past couple of days. A hand reached out and touched his knee, startling him.

"Good morning." Her words were still laced with sleep as she yawned. "How are you feeling?"

He smiled back, "Good morning. Better now. My head feels clearer." He rested his hand on hers and looked deep into her eyes. She was happy to see the life back in his gaze. "I didn't realize what was happening to me, but whatever it was... I thought maybe I caught something traveling and with the cold air, but it was something else. I feel...normal again. Have you felt out of the ordinary since we arrived?"

Ziara shook her head, "No. I mean other than being a bit more concerned about you, no." She moved next to Avan on the bed, "What do you remember? Last night you mentioned men trying to take me away or something?" He stared at the wall silently, thinking. "When we were in the city yesterday, you started complaining of a headache and on the way back to the house, you ran off. I tried to follow, but you lost me in the city. After searching a bit, I gave up and came back here to get Korra. I'm not really familiar with the area after all. We let some of the city guards know and searched ourselves but couldn't find you, then on our way back here we found you laid out in the snow not far from the house! You were freezing."

"What?!" She could see that he was as confused as she had been. "I, no, we were attacked yesterday...right?" She gave him a puzzled look. "Men dressed in black?" She looked down, not quite sure how to respond. As he searched his memories, the realization dawned on him, "Was it all in my head?"

A knock on the door snapped their introspection. "Can I come in?" asked Korra, already swinging the door open slowly. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" she asked with a smile, seeing them sitting on the bed together.

"No!" they both responded. Korra's smiled at their unified response.

"It's good to see you up, we were worried about you. Do you remember what happened? Why were you running around in the cold? Why did you run off at all?"

"We were just trying to figure that out ourselves," answered Ziara. "He is sure that he remembered being hunted by a group of men."

"Korra, I'm sure I saw the same attackers that were after us at the air temple and the Earth kingdom. At least I think I did..." His voice trailed off as he tried to sort out his thoughts. "They first attacked us in the city. They tried to take Ziara." Avan's eyes widened as some of the events began to come forth in his mind. "I...I think I may have killed one of them." He looked down at his hands, clean, "There was blood on my hands. Then they pursued us all the way back here."

Korra cut him off, "Avan. The authorities in the city certainly did not find anyone dead. That would be big news for the city here and my dad would definately be notified. We haven't any reports of any fighting yesterday either. When we found you, you were alone. I certainly didn't notice any signs of anyone else having been there."

He put his hand to his forehead, "What is happening to me?"

Tonraq's frame appeared in the door, carrying a serious look on his face. "Korra. Ziara. There are two men from the compound here for Avan. They said they are under orders to escort him there."

"Dad, don't you think it's not a good idea for him to go anywhere today? We don't even know what happened to him and now this? We can all go in a couple of days."

"Korra, we already went through this and they were quite adamant, to say the least."

"Can we talk to Gran Gran? I don't understand what is going on around here. Did everyone just bash their heads into a wall?" Korra stood up, getting a bit heated.

Tonraq waved his hands to calm Korra down. "It was Master Katara that sent the order for him to go, and she wishes to see him alone." Korra's mouth snapped shut, baffled by what was going on.

"I'll go," said Avan quietly. "They were the ones who asked me here in the first place and maybe they will have some answers about what has been happening to me. I mean if they had truly gone wacko like Korra said, wouldn't they have just made sure I froze to death under some snowbank or something, not in front of the house?" Korra and Ziara sent electric glares to him for the off-color comment. Avan gave a forced smile and looked back to Tonraq, who finally acknowledged him and then headed back down to speak with the escorts.

Ziara's look turned back to concern. He put his hand on her cheek and she cradled it with her other. "Please be careful." He simply nodded before slowly getting out of bed, being careful to test if the lightheadedness would return. A bit surprised, he found a steadiness and energetic feeling that he had missed since arriving in the South Pole. Avan donned the shirt and the coat he had been wearing just the day before, now clean and dry.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," he said to Ziara as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you." They froze for several moments staring into one another's eyes until they heard Korra shuffle uncomfortably as she took time to admire the swirls embedded in the walls and corners of the room. Breaking off their embrace, Avan headed out, adding, "Oh come on Korra, we've all had to stand by while you and Asami said 'good-bye' before." This elicited a warm smile from the Avatar.

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Ziara worked through her worry by helping Senna take care of various chores around the house. They spoke little while they moved together, but the work helped to calm her. Korra, on the other hand, had been pacing around while her father calmed her down enough to resort to simply moping about the house. The tone of the house was subdued.

It was the late afternoon when they could hear voices approaching the door, followed by a light knock. Korra jumped up to grapple with the lock. Almost as soon as the door opened, she was assaulted by clasping arms and muffled by the shoulder of a thick coat. As her face was buried in the dark flow of hair, she inhaled and a familiar scent brought a smile to her lips.

Asami stepped back and looked her over. "I've missed you," she said lovingly. Asami then scanned the room and picked up on the concerned looks of Korra's parents and Ziara. "Wait, what's happened." Kya moved inside and fixed her gaze on Ziara and began to share her look of concern, "Where's Avan?" Tonraq answered, "Come inside, I'll tell you what happened."

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The two men were wearing what appeared to be typical, heavy Southern Water Tribe coats, except for the detail of a white lotus symbol that had been stitched onto the backs. Their large boots plodded through some fresh powder that had fallen sometime overnight. The three of them all moved in near silence, just the occasional heavy breath breaking the quiet that was laid upon the landscape. Deep inside, Avan's mind wandered as he tried to calm himself and keep his mind from iterating over the "what-ifs" that only the dark subconscious could conjure. He let out a small chuckle as he began stepping on his escort's footprints, realizing that he must have at least several inches on either of them by the length of their gates; neither of them even glanced back at him.

As they approached, the walls of the Southern Water Tribe compound did not have the formidable appearance that he was expecting, made of primarily of snow and ice. He thought that given time, one may be able to simply climb the sloped exteriors to infiltrate the grounds. He could just make out the silhouettes of the guards in the adjoining towers as their small group came to the main doors. They swung open, the silence a testament to the craftsmanship with which they were created. Up close, the enormity of the compound's construction struck Avan. The doors they passed were nearly two feet thick and the walls many times more.

The two men stopped and motioned for Avan to continue onto a platform in the open courtyard near the middle of the compound. "I've come this far, what do I have to lose at this point?" he thought to himself. As he neared the center of the platform, he heard his name called, "Welcome Avan." He turned to see an older woman standing in the entrance of one of the buildings adjacent the platform. "I am Master Katara."

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"What do you mean they took him?" Kya asked loudly, not quite a yell.

"Kya, please calm down," Tonraq said in an even tone. Asami moved to place her hands on Kya's shoulders and applied gentle pressure, urging her to sit back down.

"How could you just let them take him?" Kya said with a break in her voice.

"I don't know what you expected me to do. They asked him to come to the South Pole and he chose to do so. I don't know why those men were sent to pick him up, but in the end I have to believe that Master Katara has a reason for all of this. She never spoke of anything specific with me. You know the White Lotus can be a fairly strange organization at times," Tonraq explained.

"You're telling me you think it is all just coincidence that Avan just arrives here, disappears overnight, nearly freezes to death then they come and sweep him up? Come now, you can't be that naive?!" Kya accused.

His voice grows more quiet as he thinks about what has transpired. "Of course I am suspicious, but I think we may just need to let things play out. I can't believe that they, that Master Katara, means him any real harm." Kya, without saying a word, moved towards the door. "Kya, please, where are you going?" asked Tonraq. "It's already evening."

She pauses for just a moment with her hand on the door handle. "I am going to make sure that my son is safe," she says adamantly. Then, she opened the door and stepped through, closing it firmly behind her. Just seconds later, Ziara grabbed her own coat and ran out the door as well. The rest of them stood staring at one another. "Kya, wait!" They could hear faintly from outside. Asami looked at Korra with intent and quickly grabbed her hand pulled her out the door as well. Asami address Korra's parents, "we'll get to the bottom of this." Tonraq slumped down into their large sofa next to his wife.

"Did I screw up?" he asked. Senna rubbed her husband's leg and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't believe any of them are angry at you, they are just worried about that boy."

"I feel like I didn't take it seriously enough. How could I, why would they, think of Katara as a threat? Our families have been so close for so long…."

xxxxxxxxxx

The older woman slowly made her way down the steps of the building until she is only a few meters from Avan. They look up and down, assessing one another. There is an air of curiosity, not malice or suspicion that is shared. They stand motionless for some time. Avan is the first one to break stoic character as the chill of the air managed to find his core, sending a chatter to his teeth and a bit of a shiver out from his spine to his hands and feet. A smile grew on the worn face of the elder waterbender.

"Why don't we step inside where it's warmer and we can talk?" she suggests after having already turned back toward the building. Avan quietly followed her inside where they sat next to one another next to a roaring fire. Avan glanced around and noted many strange glyphs and that the walls themselves appeared to be strangely constructed. "Tell me about your blood-bending," Katara said, for some reason, the words sent a chill down Avan's spine. He thought to move, but was suddenly assaulted by a powerful wave of nausea and dizziness. His vision quickly blurred as the features of the room around him slowly peeled away. Moments later, Avan found himself in a familiar, but unwelcome setting.

xxxxxxxxxx

The stains on the ceiling were just where they always were when he opened his eyes, laying back on his bed. He was in his room in the Earth kingdom. His sister rushed into the room and huddled in the corner. She was shaking. His mind tried to put together a reality to which he could react. "Cold?" he thought examining her face, "no, this is fear she is feeling." He reached out for her, intending to calm her nerves, but as his hand approached a scream permeated throughout the room. The sounds of crashing dishes and banging furniture soon joined in.

Somewhere, deep in his mind, he thought to himself, "I-I shouldn't be here..." but it quickly dissolved as his mind and senses dragged him into this place. He pulled at his sister's hand, "We have to get out of here before he finds us." She jumped up and slipped out the door into the living room of their disheveled apartment where he followed. The familiarity of this dream, or nightmare, slowly began to unfold.

His sister had already run to their father, trying to get him to stop his assault on their mother. He could see her pounding on his back as he continued yelling at their mother, but it was like a fly attacking a bear, at best a slight annoyance. He could feel his blood rising. There was anger as well as fear brewing as his once father threw his rage towards his mother and sister. The scene played out, leaving him sobbing and broken on the floor, surrounded by the lifeless shells of his family.

The night repeated relentlessly. He didn't know how many times he relived these moments, some of the worst of his life. Each time, he was dragged further and further into the reality of the past and it was as if he were there all over again. As he fell down this spiral, a voice began to form in Avan's mind. Each time he relived the pain, the voice grew in strength. "He deserves to die. He deserves to suffer. You can stop this," it spoke, over and over. Each time, reliving this past wore him down, physically and mentally. Slowly, he began to realize, in this time and place, that he had bending at his fingertips, he could change things. The voice had taken on its full strength, "He deserves to die, he deserves to suffer. You can stop this." This time he pushes through his bedroom door, holding his sister back. He was met with the sight of his father attacking his mother, this time and all the many times he had relived these memories had brought forth feelings of aggression from every ounce of his being. Avan didn't just want to protect his family, he wanted to punish the one responsible. "He deserves to die, he deserves to suffer. You can stop this." The words continued to echo in his mind. Unlike before, he could feel the power of his bending at his fingertips and a desire to use them.

No longer content to let the past play out, as his father brought down his fist to strike again at his mother, Avan pulled out a chunk of the wall and whirled it at his father's body. It struck him with enough force to level him to the ground, but he quickly stood up, barely phased, and set his eyes on Avan. Those piercing eyes. Avan was frozen. There was nothing but hate and contempt behind that stare, nothing of what a parent should be and the images those eyes summoned chilled Avan. His father made another move toward him, faster now. He simply dodged attempts at earthbending and slammed Avan into the wall, clutching his shirt tightly near his neck.

"You think you can save them?" he sneered.

There was something inhuman about him. "How could he have moved so quickly or have such strength left?" Avan quickly thought to himself. The pressure of a hand around his own neck snapped him back into this reality. Throwing solid, but ineffective blows, he could feel his strength waning as his lungs burned and he grasped for a new breath. He thought his neck would snap. As his vision began to tunnel, Avan finally reacted by kicking the attacker back, using the wall behind him as leverage. He went to his knees and gasped for a breath, but barely had time to compose himself before he saw his father coming for him again, this time with a knife in hand. He reached out, tying into his father's life as before, but this time knowingly, willingly. That simple kitchen knife whose details were burned into Avan's memory. He remembered its weight, a notch in the handle and its bent tip from being repeatedly abused. Just as before, he could feel all of this as if he were holding it himself.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. It was almost as if he had double vision, warping between his own and his father. The voice resounded in his mind again, faster now. He could feel his father's will fighting against his own. There was a burning desire to kill, to destroy Avan coursing through his veins. More so now, he wanted to punish Avan. These emotions only enraged Avan further as the voice continued. "He deserves to die, he deserves to suffer." He pushed into his father's mind with his full will, freezing his advance. His mind was flooded with images of revenge as he forced that despicable man's hand to bring the point of the blade to his own chest. He had visions of flinging him from the balcony or twisting his limbs until they were broken heaps of flesh and bone. He wanted to inflict such pain on this shell of a man who took so much away from him. The voice in his head just urged him closer to this edge. As he brought the knife closer to his chest, he could again feel the pressure of the blade and then...something in the back of his mind stopped him.

Avan stopped in his tracks and they both stood, staring at one another. Deep within he could feel something wrong, both with his father, himself and this whole place. "I don't belong here," he thought to himself, "this feeling, this isn't me. You can't be here." There was a demon inside his father and it was lurking in him as well and he suddenly realized that he couldn't, no he didn't want to, keep hold of this anger any longer which had been so deeply buried. In his father, it was drugs that caused it to rear itself, but by going down this path for revenge, holding onto this resentment, he was bringing it out of himself. He had been carrying this inside him for far too long. He released him and left his father alive.

"Don't you want to lay out punishment for everything he has done?" his sister and mother started to chant.

"I'll just kill you all," chided his father.

"No, this isn't what happened. This isn't what they would have wanted."

"He deserves to die, he deserves to suffer."

"No!" Avan shouted. As the room and everything around him began to melt away, he could hear a familiar voice and warm arms wrapped around him. Ziara...

xxxxxxxxxx

Kya was gliding through the snow at a surprising pace to the White Lotus compound. The other three had to nearly keep up a jog to follow. Ziara and Asami actually didn't mind the extra warmth afforded by the workout. From a distance, they could see that guards were posted, which was a bit unexpected.

"Halt!" one of the guards commanded as the small group approached the main gate. "This compound is currently closed to outside visitors. You are welcome to return in two days time when the grounds will be reopened." The guard delivered the request in a robotic fashion.

"I am Kya and I wish to speak with Master Katara...my mother!" She emphasized the last part clearly. They could see the guards shuffling around a bit and discussing their presence among themselves. Their presence also began to attract additional attention from the other guards in the compound and it was only after a few minutes that their numbers along the wall and look out tower had nearly doubled.

Another guard, presumably someone in higher authority, now spoke to them, though his words still seemed to lack strong conviction. "Miss Kya, I'm sorry but it was Master Katara herself that insisted the compound remain locked down for the time being. She made it quite clear that there were to be no exceptions."

"Is the White Lotus also going to refuse entry to the Avatar?" Korra announced. Again, the guards began to murmur, they obviously either didn't approve of what was happening, or were as much in the dark, and perhaps suspicious, of it themselves. Korra decided to flex her guns, "You know this paltry ice gate of yours isn't going to keep us out don't you?" There was a sense of nervousness that ran through the guards.

"Avatar Korra, please understand we are just following our orders here. We respectfully ask that you turn back and return at a later time." Korra took on an aggressive stance thinking to throw some additional intimidation their way, but Kya had other ideas. The older waterbender reached out her arms and cleaved the massive ice door standing in their way, much to the surprise of everyone. She then started towards the opening with renewed vigor. Some guards moved down to the opening with perhaps a bit too much zeal for their work. Then, an elder gentleman who appeared to be in command quickly moved into their path. "We do not wish to turn this into a battle and I can see you are not to be dissuaded from moving forward, so please just let me take you to Master Katara." Kya silently acknowledged the older man and fell in line behind him as he led them to one of the buildings on the compound. He stopped at the door and turned to the four of them.

"I am Iluq, one of the elders assigned to this compound. I ask you all to forgive the greeting you received, but the guards here were given strict orders. I just ask that you please hear me out before we go further."

Korra answered succinctly, "We're listening."

He took in a deep breath before starting to speak and turned to mostly address Kya. "Please understand that Avan was never in any real danger and that there have been people watching over his well-being since he came to the South Pole." Kya took on an even more guarded stance due to the statement, but stayed silent. The man in front of the group realized this wasn't the best way to start explaining what had been going on but felt compelled to hammer this point. He continued with a hushed voice, almost a whisper.

"You all know Master Katara's distrust of blood-benders is not a secret. She, herself, championed for bloodbending to be completely outlawed in every nation. Despite it being exceptionally rare, she felt it important enough to go a step further and utilize the White Lotus network to monitor and test suspected blood-benders throughout the nations. Please also realize that only a few of the elders and a small circle of the most loyal guards are even aware of this work."

"What do you mean 'test'?" Kya interrupted.

He paused a moment to concentrate on Kya, "I think it best to leave the explanation to Master Katara, but, suffice it to say, it is intended as an assessment to determine the bender's nature." He pulled out a massive set of keys that looked as ancient as time, each with no distinguishing mark from the next, and filtered through them. He chose one and the main lock gave way with a dull click, then proceeded to move to other locks which the group would never had even noticed were present until he inserted the key into each nearly invisible slot.

After the fourth lock was undone, the group's impatience finally overcame them. Ziara was the one the one to break the silence, "Okay, so what's with all the locks? I mean Kya just came and knocked down your front gate so..."

The old man turned with a smile on his face. "You'll have to forgive my pace, there are only a few more." One more latch gave way, this one with a notably heavier mechanism than the rest. "Though, as to the security, being in the middle of the South Pole surrounded by only ice and water-benders, you can see how the compound itself is not easily guarded." Another lock disengaged with a strange whirl. "The strength lies in within the walls. I think even Avatar Korra would be quite surprised to find out just how impregnable this simple building can be without entering in a proper manner."

Korra's eyebrows flew up at what she interpreted as a challenge. She focused a bit on the building itself, running through the construction in her mind, thinking perhaps wood, stone or metal construction, but turned up empty handed. "Okay, now I am curious, I can't sense anything from this building or inside, much less bend. What gives?!"

Iluq's smile grew wider and he let out a small chuckle, "Trade secret I'm afraid." He turned now a seventh key over and over in yet another hidden slot without so much as a noise and finally withdrew it. "There we go. Now, all I ask is that when we enter, you must wait until Master Katara acknowledges you." The old man suddenly took on a formidable tone and posture to the surprise of everyone. They could all sense his presence. "Do not interfere in any way beforehand!" They all cowered a bit and simply nodded as he seemed to shrink back to the humble elder that had been led them before. "This is for your sake as much as Avan's." Receiving what he assessed as sufficient acknowledgement, he continued, "Good then." The door let out a quiet grown as Iluq pushed it back. Walking through, Asami let out a small gasp of surprise at the massive construction of the walls and door in spite of them looking completely ordinary from the outside.

As they rounded a curve in a hallway, they saw Master Katara seated with another elder and Avan seated across from them around a small fire. The silence was deafening in the main room. Their footsteps and even the sounds of their own breathing seemed to be ripped away from them. Iluq motioned them to sit together on a bench in the back of the room. He took a position standing next to them. No one dared speak. They all simply sat and waited, watching the three individuals in the middle of the room sit motionless, expressionless and silent.

There were no windows or anything else to focus on in the quiet of the room. They all entirely lost track of how long they may had been sitting there. Ziara thought to herself that given some other reason for being there, it was actually a very peaceful place. The room had the heavy scent of oak wood mixed with what she thought must have been at least fifty years or more of past incense, though none was being burned now. The small fire threw the shadows of the three in the center of the room against the walls, wavering only slightly. It was a dim light. At some point, Korra and Asami had fallen asleep, leaning against one another. Kya and Ziara sat, shifting occasionally, watching, but they too caught themselves drifting off at times, eyelids heavy. Their escort stood next to them, unwavering, watching.

Ziara felt Kya's hand patting her leg. Ziara didn't realize it, but deduced that she too must have dozed off. "For how long?" she wondered. She looked to the center to see the man now leaning over to Katara, whispering something. Kya stood up, but made no other move toward them. After finishing whatever he had to say to her, the man turned and disappeared down a hallway. Katara then stood and moved to sit next to Avan and rested her hand on his back. She finally looked over towards the small group and gave a nod. Ziara looked over to Iluq for a moment to see if he had anything more to add. He didn't give any reaction so she and Kya hopped over and crouched down near Avan. For whatever reason, neither bothered to awaken the couple sleeping on the bench.

They saw that Avan appeared to be asleep or in a trance of some sort. Either way, he did not react to anything going around him. "I know you have a lot you probably want to say to me dear," Katara said to her daughter, "but just wait a moment. He deserves to hear the explanation as well," gesturing toward Avan. Ziara looked at the old waterbender with a slight pleading in her eyes. Katara got the message. "You must be Ziara. I was told that Avan was with a pretty, young Fire Nation woman. Go ahead now, he'll likely wake better to your touch than mine."

Ziara took Avans hands in her own. She was a bit startled that they were so cool and she began to rub them between hers. "Avan?" She looked to the old woman.

"Just give him a few moments."

Avan?" She brought his hands up to her cheeks, "Avan?" His eyes finally cracked open, but Ziara could see that it was a blank stare, not focused on any of them. He gasped for breath and snapped back. If not for Ziara clenching his hands tightly, he likely would have slammed his head on the floor behind him. The sound was enough to rouse the napping couple who got up to join the rest. In the moment, they all suddenly realized that the normal, expected sounds in the room had returned, but none of them could put a finger on when exactly it had sprung back to life. It was as if mufflers had finally been removed from their ears. Even the small fire suddenly seemed to be roaring and crackling.

"What? Where am...? How did you...?" Avan was struggling to piece together what had happened to him in the past hour?...day? He wasn't even sure how long he had been here, it felt like at least a day had gone by. He touched his hands to his cheeks. Wet? Tears were streaming down his face, uncontrollably. "Why am I crying?" It was the first intelligible sentence he was able to get out. There were looks of concern on the faces staring at him. Flashes of memory caused him to wince and hold his head, a dull ache behind his forehead.

"Don't worry, the memories will fade away soon," Katara said comfortingly.

"Okay mom, do you care to tell us what in spirits is going on!?"

The old master let out a sigh, "For many years, I have made it part of the White Lotus' mission to find and evaluate suspected blood-benders in order to protect benders and non-benders alike."

"Isn't this just a personal mission for you?" interjected Kya. Katara gave her a disapproving look.

"This goes beyond me or you or anyone else." She turned her gaze to the Avatar, "You more than anyone else here should understand how dangerous blood-bending can be. Think of the damage Amon did and could have done if he hadn't been stopped. If only we had known before..."

She took on a more pleasant face now. "We receive reports of blood-benders every now and then. Many of them prove to be false, but some truly have the skill. I myself know how tempting it can be to harness...to be able to place another individual completely under your control. Nearly everyone who exhibits bloodbending quickly chooses the path of chaos. The power at their fingertips, even when only for that small window of time, is often too much to resist. It is a rarity among the rare for one to keep to the path of righteousness." She turned to face Avan and offered a warm smile, "I am pleased that someone so young was able to keep his back turned to the temptations. Even more so with such a powerful connection to the bending. You must have led an interesting life to end up at this place."

The group relaxed a bit and settled in. Avan, having regained his composure, asked, "What exactly is it you did to me? I barely remember coming to this compound and every second that goes by, I feel like these experiences from my past are slipping away. I know that just a short time ago I could have sworn I was right there, back in my house years ago, but now I am struggling to piece the events back together. it was more than simply a dream."

Korra chimed in, "Why couldn't you just talk with us! We all would have vouched for Avan. He has done so much good for us and for other people. Why would you put him through all of this? Why would you put anyone through this?!"

"Yakone and his children were the only ones known to be able to bloodbend without the full moon, and then we heard reports about Avan joining their ranks. How could we not be suspicious of him? Think of Amon, think of how many people saw him as a savior and would have 'vouched' for him. Don't we all show the best side of ourselves to those around us? The danger is in what we hide from one another; those things that we may do or consider doing in the backs of our minds. This is the reason we chose to instead test those exhibiting this ability. We try to assess their hidden nature through specific pressure points."

"But how can you do that with certainty? What if you are wrong? What do you do with those who don't pass your test?!" exclaimed Asami. She gathered herself, "There was a time I would have wanted nothing more than to have killed my own father, but I worked through that and changed."

"Asami my dear. Please understand that we know it is not as simple as asking a few questions. We consider all the evidence that we can even before we meet the person. Unfortunately, most of the people who possess this ability have long proven their nature before ever reaching the stage of bringing them here." Katara taps her chin, thinking, "In fact, Avan is only the third person we have ever brought here to evaluate. We aren't going around, rounding up people by the hundreds."

"So what is it you did?" asks Ziara pointedly. She held some degree of visible scorn on her face, not having any of the history with Master Katara as the others, but knew that the woman still deserved her respect.

"We try to stress the individuals emotionally and physically to determine what their decisions may look like when they are in dire straits. It is when we are in those most difficult situations where we may be pushed to do those things that otherwise we could not," Katara answered matter of factly.

"You wanted to see if I would seek revenge on my father, now that I have a greater understanding of this ability. If I would torture him or worse..." Avan finally spoke up, head still turned down. The vague memories that had rattled around in his head began to piece themselves together again. He had recomposed himself, but still looked worse for wear with red, puffy eyes encircled by the dark evidence of sleeplessness. Looking up, he addressed Katara with watery eyes. "I wanted to. I really wanted to punish him, but what good would it do. I can understand why you would want to test blood-benders. I can't deny that this kind of power over another is truly frightening, but how can you justify putting a person through all of this!?" They could all sense a bit of rage hidden just beneath the words.

Master Katara continued in her usual, calm voice. "Avan, I understand your contempt for me and for what I have put you through. I also admit and accept that I am the one behind this whole mess for the past several days. I made a choice years ago that this would be part of my calling, my duty. I accepted both any hate it would generate and the danger I would be putting myself into long ago. I felt that the danger bloodbending posed was great enough that I had no other choice but to pursue it in this way. Unfortunately, my concerns of the potential danger have been proven many more times than now, and I truly feel that the peril that I saved others from outweighed the pain we have had to inflict on the few who resisted more baser uses of the bending. I know it may not be enough, but I am truly sorry for putting you through the past few days."

Avan looked over the older woman for a few moments and came to the conclusion that what she said was both genuine and heavily thought through. Despite carrying the treachery of his father around with him, he had always had difficulty holding onto his anger. He felt that she truly believed in what she was doing and at least part of him agreed with her. "So where does that leave me, leave us, now?" he asked calmly.

"You are free to come and go as you please. I hope that you might return at a later time, no more tricks or traps. I would like to talk with you about your experiences, but I understand if you wish to leave and not return after what you have been through."

He looked at Ziara and saw that she still held a concerned look on her face; Kya as well. He stood up, "I will take my leave." Turning back to Korra, "Can we head back to the house?" Korra nodded, "Of course." He stood up, taking Ziara's hand, and headed towards the passage leading to the entrance of the building. Glancing back, he could see that the old woman was a bit distraught for what she had done and disappointed at his abrupt departure. "Master Katara, perhaps I could return tomorrow, after some rest, if you'd be available," he said, just turning his head back slightly. It gave him some sense of happiness that her face rose up at the suggestion.

"I would like that. I am nearly always here these days, these old bones don't really allow for as much travel anymore," she responded cordially. At that, the group started out. Just they were to round the corner, Korra was stopped in her tracks. "Korra, would you mind sticking behind a bit to chat?" She let out a strained laugh, "Of course Gran Gran." Asami nudged Korra in the ribs, "Oooo, you are in big trouble girl!" she jibed with a smile. Korra produced a strained smile on her lips, a bit unsure and worried about what may be in store for her.


	16. Questions, Answers and Feathers

Ziara had been livid on the trip home and everyone had silently decided that she needed to vent her anger without interruption. They all shared her feelings to at least some degree, but with their own histories with Katara, had more tempered feelings since they knew her thinking better. The group left the two to "discuss" their feelings on the matter. Avan wanted to let her express her own feelings on the events, but he also wanted to explain why he didn't hold any animosity against Master Katara or the White Lotus.

"I can't believe you can just sit there with that calm expression on your face! You should be furious with what they did to you. Manipulating you for what, days?!" After a surprisingly long tirade, Avan could see she was finally losing steam. Whether from being able to simply get it out or exhaustion, he couldn't tell. She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself further and took his head in her hands, pulling their faces close to one another. "Avan, all of this...I was really scared."

He opened his eyes to see tears streaming down her cheeks. "When was she crying," he thought to himself, "Did I somehow not notice?" He slowly moved his hands up the back of her thick winter coat and pulled her close to him in a tight embrace.

"I just want you, no, I need you to know that we care about you. I care about you a lot. I want to protect you and I want you to be safe. This all felt as if you were just going along with the tide. Weren't you the least bit angry over what those who care about you had to suffer because of everything that happened?"

In that moment, he realized the folly of his thinking. He stepped back a bit so they were face to face again. He fell again into those beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry. I just didn't...I'm sorry that you and everyone had to worry. I can't explain it exactly, but ever though the experience of the past few days was terrible. When I was there with Master Katara, I just felt like I suddenly understood her purpose behind it. There was no malice and I could feel that I had never truly been in danger these past few days. I'm not quite sure why, but I am sure of it. But, you're right...you're right. I wasn't the only one put through this ordeal."

She smiled up at him with a tear streaked face, "You're such an idiot," then kissed him deeply on the steps to the house.

"It wasn't like the waking dreams from before. It was more real, but, at the same time, I was much more aware of the fact it was a dream." He turned to Ziara. "I know, that sounds completely weird. I don't know how to put what I was feeling to words. It was like I was experiencing events, but was hyper-focused on my feelings and reasoning, less so on actions. I am pretty sure this is what Master Katara meant when she spoke about getting to the core of a person's nature. Anyway, whatever it was, it was how I feel I came to understand her motivations."

They stayed up late talking about the events which took place in Avan's mind. Though not quite fully convinced herself, Ziara at least began to understand a bit about his lack of anger. He described how the event he relived were somehow different from anything he had dealt with in the past.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was well into the morning when Avan was finally roused by a gentle hand on his back. With the addition of Asami and Kya, well just Kya really, Avan and Ziara ended up sharing a room. Avan slept on the floor on a bed of furs that Senna provided while Ziara took the bed. Korra had promoted the idea of them sharing the bed, but with some shared embarrassment, they decided not to in the end. Despite the room being flooded with light, Avan's eyes were just yielding to the day. He had been exhausted from the previous several days of terrible sleep. They opened to take in Ziara's warm expression, framed by her dark hair, not yet tamed for the day.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up," she offered with a grin.

Avan stretched and rubbed his eyes, "Just how long have you been watching me?"

"Long enough to get bored and start poking you to wake up. You are a sound sleeper though," she said with a sly smile.

"Not usually, just dead tired is all, with everything that has gone on the past few days...," He sat up his make-shift bed and glanced around. His head felt so much clearer this morning and it brought a smile to his face. He looked over at Ziara in her red and yellow turtle duck pajamas and for some reason was just struck again at how lucky he was to have become so close to her. Even with her hair frazzled (the low humidity in the South Pole was not friendly to her fine hair) and a bit of sleep still over her, he still thought she looked stunning.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Oh nothing, just taking in the morning." He turned his gaze away, feeling his cheeks growing a bit warm. "Did I ever mention how cute you look in those pajamas?"

She tightened her lips and scowled a bit at him. "My mom got me these! They are so comfortable and I figured I would need something warm for the South Pole."

Avan sputtered a bit trying to hold back a chuckle, "Yeah, well sure...but how long ago did she get them for you?" Obviously implying that they were, perhaps, a bit childish. He could see redness percolate into Ziara's cheeks as a playful grimace overtook her face, then the next thing he knew she was reeling back, pillow in hand. She hit him squarely on the side of his head and it sent him toppling over. Taking advantage of the high ground, she swung around and got him good once again while he was still on the floor, a few feathers drifted up into the room, escaping from Ziara's weapon. Avan finally managed to grab hold of his own and made a blind swing upward, meeting nothing but air. Ziara only punished him further with another barrage.

"Is that all you've got in you! I think I would have better competition with Korra's little cousins! Maybe when we get back, they can give you some lessons!" shouted Ziara, laughing the whole time.

After taking a couple more hits, Avan finally got himself up and landed a solid hit that knocked Ziara back onto the bed above. While she was down, he went for another, but she deftly rolled to dodge it and she wheeled back to take advantage of his attempt and smacked him hard enough to knock him off balance. "What happened to all that training you've been doing?" As she came around to land another hit, her pillow suddenly erupted, lofting feathers throughout the whole room that slowly drifted down and about like snow. Avan grabbed at the now deflated bag, pulling it down with him as he fell back to the floor with Ziara following right behind. They landed together on the soft furs, eye to eye, suddenly silent.

They could feel each other's breath on their lips as Ziara bobbed slightly from their heavy breathing. He could think of nothing better than the warm weight of her body pressed against him in their man-made snowy landscape. More serious expressions grew across their faces as each other's eyes darted about examining the other's face. After what seemed like minutes to both, Avan reached his arms around Ziara and gently coaxed her against him. He moved one hand up to the back of her head, entangling in her dark, wild hair as she brought her face closer to his. They connected. They shared a long, passionate kiss. It felt far beyond anything previous. Heat rose for both of them as Ziara gripped Avan's face with her hands and, holding it, stole from his lips again. As he moved to kiss her neck, he bit down ever so lightly, eliciting a small sound of passion from Ziara's lips, a gasp almost. Neither was quite sure where this was leading, but without words, they both knew that this was the start of something new, something deeper between them.

With lips locked and ensnared by passion, they had entirely missed any of the warnings. They observed each other's pupils suddenly springing open as the distinctive sound of a door latch was processed...their door's latch.

"Avan? Ziara?" They both froze completely, faces as red as a Fire Nation lily, as Korra swung open the door and entered. "I knocked and heard commotion, breakfast is..." She wasn't paying much attention and it took her own mind several moments to process the scene. The room appeared to be in shambles, sheets and quilts tossed about aimlessly. The furs, once nicely stacked for a bed had been shuffled around. Feathers, small, white feathers were strewn about the whole room, and there in the middle of the floor, Avan and Ziara in tight embrace. They both turned their heads slowly to meet Korra's guise. Time, which had all but stopped, seemed to instantly warp forward. No one could quite put anything intelligible together.

"Umm, this isn't," Avan started.

"We were just...and then the pillow," Ziara tried to explain.

"Oh...OH, OH...I'm, I knocked, I didn't, spirits!" Korra stuttered. She lost perhaps one shade of color and gained a wide grin as she turned back toward the door. "I'll, uh, leave you guys alone."

Ziara finally gathered herself enough to stand herself back up and offered Avan a hand. "Korra, wait this isn't what I think you think," but she had already left the room with a brisk walk. "Ugh!" The two of them stared at each other for some time, looking about the room and the scene they had built. It wasn't long before smiles broke into laughter at the whole situation. They shared a hug and, with just a look, acknowledged that their feelings had evolved in some real way during this trip.

"We better go down for breakfast and head this off before she starts something. I'm sure they are going to have a field day with this!" They both rolled their eyes at the thought. Ziara grabbed her bag and began getting ready in the adjoining bathroom. Avan used the hallway bathroom and then made quick work of collecting at least the majority of the feathers and straightening up the room a bit before she emerged completely ready for the day, dressed in a warm, blue water tribe outfit Senna had given her.

"Wow, I wasn't in there that long was I?"

"No, well not really. The mess really wasn't as bad as it looked, though it'll take a bit to collect all the feathers. We'll have to explain the busted pillow I guess."

Ziara took in a deep breath, grabbed Avan's hand and pulled him toward the door. "Well, let's face the inquisition together!" Avan smiled and they headed down.

As they emerged into the dining room together, everyone else was sitting quietly around the table, sipping tea. Senna had set out plates for the two of them, obviously they were a bit late to the meal, everyone had already eaten. "Good morning you two," offered Senna. They returned the greeting and then took their places. They felt tension in the air as they sat down.

"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Kya. The two of them exchanged looks then glanced over to Korra who was blatantly avoiding eye contact with them.

"Yes," they spoke in unison, blushing a bit. Ziara then continued. "Yes, you keep it so warm inside that it's almost like I'm sleeping back in the Fire Nation," she said addressing Senna.

"I always sleep better when I'm at home," chimed Korra, "I think it's something about the pillows here." Ziara and Avan froze for a split second. Korra jumped a bit. Unbeknown to them, Asami, with a wide grin on her own face, had given Korra a light kick in the shin for the comment. She couldn't resist, "Do you guys have feathers in your hair?" They both looked at each other and, sure enough, there were just a few stray strands of down still caught up. "Were you wrestling with an arctic hen or something?" "Oww!" Korra yelped shortly after, reacting to the elbow in her side. Their faces were positively reddish now, and they could see Korra, Asami, Kya and Tonraq all holding in eminent laughter.

Senna finally spoke up, "Okay Korra, that's enough." She took a slow sip of her tea. "Don't think we don't know why you always want the guest room when you and Asami visit...and by the way, those extra 20 feet of hallway do nothing for noise." Korra and Asami went pale themselves on being called out. Avan, Ziara and Asami both put their palms to their foreheads, hardly believing how the day started out in this way.

"But...but, we...," Korra stammered.

Ziara stood up. "Senna, I am very sorry, but we kind of destroyed one of your down pillows...in a pillow fight." She then turned to stare at Korra, "And nothing else!" Korra buried her head a bit under her arms, now doubly embarrassed.

"That's okay dear, it's not the first time it has happened...the pillow of course." She smiled at her own jab. "Also, don't mind Korra, she gets her teasing from her father. Being our only daughter, she's usually had to be on the receiving end and I'm sure just waits for any opportunity to spring on someone else... Even though nothing happened," she gave Ziara a slight wink driving a slight blush to her cheeks.

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Korra and Avan said 'good-bye' as they stepped outside. It was a warm day (for the South) and the morning sun was bright, already high in the sky. They took on a slow pace, neither in much of a hurry to reach their destination. It was so quiet, peaceful even as they made their way. The only sounds around them were of their own footsteps crunching in the dense snowpack and their light breathing.

"So what did Master Katara want with you yesterday after we left?" asked Avan, breaking the silence.

Korra put on a small grin and put her hand to the back of neck reflexively, "Oh that..." She let out a sigh. "Well, Gran Gran apparently was well informed, I'm guessing Tenzin. I had told him about the training you and I had worked on. She just had some...concerns about an Avatar having such an ability, limited as it is." Korra stopped and looked up into the sky. "She didn't test me or anything, but she was clear, in her own way, about how much responsibility comes with that, both the ability itself and if the public discovers their Avatar can blood-bend at all, even if my skills are weak. Sometimes it feels like I already have the weight of the world on my shoulders and still I find a way to pile on more and more."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to be the Avatar. Everyone seems to just expect you to be able to do or handle anything that comes up." They continued their walk to the compound. "I think I would go nuts trying to handle some of the decisions that you face. It makes me realize just how much simpler my work is. Someone comes in with an injury, you fix it. You don't have to worry about appeasing this side or that side, politics, impacts to this village or that city."

Korra ruffled Avan's hair. "I can't do everything and I have had to learn to accept that. I know I have and will make mistakes. Just like in your treatments, sometimes you may go about it the wrong way. Haven't you ever worked on someone and wished you had done it differently? Your decisions can affect a life the same way mine can, anyone's for that matter. We're human, we will screw it up sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess you are right." He exhaled some of the worry from this train of thought, "So, do you know why Master Katara wanted you back today?" Korra shook her head. "Hmmm..."

A short time later, they were back to the scene of yesterday's drama. The massive ice door had already been repaired, but this time, the guards, fewer in number, yielded to the Avatar and Avan with a simple 'Hello.' As they stepped into the courtyard, they could see Katara doing exercises with a few other, much younger, lotus members. The motions were clearly water-bending forms. Korra commented, "That's my Gran Gran, she may be old, but she's still got it."

"Korra dear, my hearing is just fine I'll have you know!" said Master Katara from the distance. Korra feigned ducking behind Avan, eliciting a chuckle from him. They sat on a cold bench near an open fire and watched as the group continued their practice. At times, only the small clouds of breath showed signs of life from the pair.

Avan broke the silence between them. "Why is it I hardly ever see you practicing bending?"

"Hmmm. What do you mean? I practice with you somewhat regularly; Tenzin, Mako, Bolin on occasion. Also, I guess my duties as Avatar also help me get in more practice than the average person, whether or not I want it."

"Yeah, that's all true, but I kinda meant the training part. Sparring is a bit different than these exercises or the ones the acolytes do at the air temple."

Korra thought silently to herself for several moments before answering. "I guess I just never thought of it much. The training when I was younger always felt too regimented for me, constricting. Most of the bending just seemed to come naturally to me. I feel like I am better off reacting than trying to build up a learned response. Does that make any sense?"

"I guess so. I can't imagine how different it must be to be the Avatar and have a spirit so closely tied in with your own." Avan paused and stared at his own hands as he mimicked some of the water bending motions the group was performing. "But, I also don't think the training is just about learning a response to a situation as you say. There's something to practicing those same motions over and over again. I think they help you develop a higher level of precision in your bending." He stopped himself mid-thought. "I'm sorry, I don't know where I'm going with this. You've been bending pretty much your whole life. What do I know? I imagine everything must be different for you; it must come so much more naturally."

Korra turned her focus more tightly onto the groups' exercises. "There's no need for sorry. I haven't been around as long as some other folks, but I know that different people learn in different ways. You're right though, everything did just come so easily for me...except air bending. I can't remember how many excruciating weeks I spent working with Tenzin to get a small breeze going. In the end, I'm not sure if it was the training or being put in a situation where I was under pressure to perform. I'm sure it was a bit of both." Korra chuckled a bit to herself, "It's funny really." Avan turned towards her a bit and uttered a small "hmmm?" "Asami has talked about the same thing to me... She's not even a bender!"

"What did she say? If you don't mind me asking."

Korra messed up Avan's hair a bit and sent a grin his way, somehow she had set this as being her go to method of kidding around with him. "She still thinks I am too emotional of a fighter, or something like that, she says it better than I can. 'You could save more of your energy and focus your strength better if you were a more disciplined fighter' she says. There's probably something to it, especially if you," she lowers her tone and mutters under her breath, "...and Tenzin...think the same thing. I've tried the practices and I just really can't bare them. I can feel frustration building up just thinking about it... It just isn't ME."

After a moment of silence, Avan turns again to Korra with a smile, "It's probably why Asami can still beat you in a straight match." Korra opened her mouth with a feigned, dejected look and it hung there a while until she finally let her face return to normal, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"You're still force to be reckoned with Korra." Their heads spun around at the sound of the third voice.

"Gran Gran! How long have you been standing there?!" Korra said loudly, a bit startled. Neither of them could remember when the training group had stopped or when Master Katara had made her way over toward them, but they both now looked with puzzled faces, realizing everyone had left without their notice.

"Oh, not too long dear," said Katara in her usual gentle tone. She turned to address Avan, "Korra has always been an instinctual fighter and it has served her well. Others respond better to rigorous and repetitive training." Korra stuck out her tongue, making a disgusted face. "One is really no better than the other. Dear Tenzin, he is such the other end of the spectrum that I think he could have learned everything he knew by reading it in books." All together, they shared a small laugh at his expense. "Most of us are somewhere in between, of course, and can benefit greatly from a combination of training methods. I still find the old practice forms to help me keep my focus sharp. They also help to keep the stiffness out of these old bones of mine."

"Gran Gran, you still look as spirited as ever!"

"Oh Korra, it's nice of you to say, but I'm not kidding anyone. Age is quickly creeping up on me." She saw Korra's face drop at the mention. "But don't worry dear, I don't have any plan to disappear any time soon." In true Toph fashion, Katara gave Korra a stiff punch in the arm, surprising her, not just because of the action, but also from the force from the otherwise small, old lady. "Come, let's talk inside." As they made their way toward a different building from the day before, Korra tried to stealthily rub her arm, failing as both Avan and Katara observed.

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This building obviously served as the dining hall for the compound. There were a few well-worn, wooden tables lined up neatly in a large main area and they could see what appeared to be a kitchen area in the back. The room could comfortably hold forty or fifty people, but for now, the three of them were alone. Katara motioned them to a table in the corner as she disappeared into the back room. She quickly emerged with a tray carrying a kettle, three mugs and several boxes of assorted sizes and shapes. Avan and Korra smiled at one another, both from thoughts of just how grandmotherly she could be. Katara placed the kettle in front of Korra as she went about unloading the rest of her cargo.

"If you would dear," she prodded, motioning to the kettle. Korra, confused for a moment, came to understand the request and very carefully used fire-bending to bring the water up to a boil. "Would you care for a cookie Avan?" She asked, offering one of the tins his way. It was packed with thin, yellowish cookies, lightly browned along their edges. As he pulled one out, he smiled upon noticing the symbol for water also embossed onto one side. He gave it a small sniff.

"Mmm, still warm too. Definitely ginger, cinnamon, clove..." Katara looked toward Avan. "...allspice, apple...?" Now she stopped and looked like she was waiting for something else.

"You have a good nose on you." He took another series of small sniffs and thought carefully.

"Mace." He looked at Katara who just stared back for a moment with such a serious look that he could almost feel sweat gathering on his forehead.

"Now I expect you to keep those a secret, understand." She broke a smile, letting him off the hook. With the water hot, she went on to prepare some tea for the three of them. "My own special blend." They sat back and relaxed, sipping now and then and munching on the various treats as they were revealed. Finally, Korra broke what was a slowly building feeling of tension in the room.

"Gran Gran, thank you for the tea and everything, but after everything that has gone on the past couple days, you can't have just invited us for tea and snacks?"

The older woman slowly put down her cup of tea and looked over the two of them. "Korra, haven't you wondered the connection that you had to your past when you were practicing blood-bending?" The two younger benders froze.

"Tenzin told you everything I guess didn't he?"

"Don't blame him dear, I think you know he did the right thing. Besides, would you expect him to withhold something like that, about the Avatar, from his own mother?" She gave them a warm smile.

"No, it's okay. I guess I should have expected it, maybe deep inside I actually wanted him to discuss it. He probably knew better who to go to than I would have."

"Well now, realize that this is our understanding of what may have happened, but it goes to explain several strange developments." She turned to address Avan directly. "Avan, I believe you carry a connection to past Avatars, Kyoshi and Kuruk specifically. Korra, you felt a connection to their past memories while he was training with you correct?"

Korra nodded. "I just assumed the blood-bending was somehow reconnecting me with the spirit world, temporarily mending my link to them somehow."

"That seems to be partially right, but it isn't your connection with the spirits directly, it was through Avan himself."

Avan shook his head in disbelief, "Wait, wait, you're telling me I have some past Avatars inside me or something?"

"Not exactly. Korra lost her connection to her past lives when her connection with Raava was...broken, so she is now the first of a new cycle; however, spirits do not just disappear, whether the Avatar's, mine or yours. The difference being the Avatars' spirits have always had a much stronger connection, both to one another and to the physical world. I believe they sought out new connections when theirs was abruptly broken." She paused a moment to let some of her conjecture sink in. "Avan, were you able to bend before that night...when you lost your family?"

He was a bit taken aback that she knew of this story as well, but quickly realized it could have been relayed by any number of people at this point. It wasn't so much a secret that he carried anymore. "No...no I couldn't."

Katara looked over to Korra, "Fourteen is awfully late to start showing signs of bending ability."

"But that was around the time I opened the spirit portal. We found many new benders, good...and bad, after that," Korra interjected, a bit pained as some of the memories of dealing with Zaheer.

"True, true, we considered this, but as far as I am aware, all those who spontaneously gained their ability have been air benders." Korra pondered this a moment and nodded in agreement. "It was also extremely rare for them to show any real level of control over their bending. Avan had never shown signs of his abilities, but then he was able to almost immediately blood bend? Not really the easiest start. More significantly, we have had no reports of anyone gaining the ability to control more than one element." Katara paused for a moment. "It's true, this is all conjecture on our part, but it seems to fit. I believe that somehow some of the spirits of your past lives formed a connection with Avan, perhaps drawn at that particular moment in his life because of the strong emotion associated with it, who knows. No one really understands how the spirit world works and even less how the Avatars are tied to it." The three sat in silence a while pondering the possibility that Master Katara had proposed. "Korra, it leads me to think that there may be a way to restore your connection to your past lives...if you so desired." This caught Korra's attention, but it was clear from her face that she was quite conflicted about the idea. "If we are right about this, it does mean at least one thing is very likely though."

"What's that?" asked Korra.

"There are probably others out there with a similar connection who may not even know it." Avan and Korra's eyes widened at the idea, but both were simply unsure what to think about the possibility. "Korra, you may even be able to regain your connection to you past if you so chose to."

Korra was somewhat taken aback at the suggestion. "Wait, what do you...you mean reconnect... But what would that mean for Avan or anyone else?"

"I'm sorry Korra, we don't have any answers for you. It is simply a possibility that you could consider." Master Katara finally stood up to break the heaviness that they could all feel. She turned to address Avan. "Anyway, all of that really doesn't matter so much now does it? What is important is the fact you are here and you are who you are, not who might be looking over you from the spirit world." She offered her hand to Avan who took it a bit hesitantly. "Now then, what I would like to talk about is your healing, I heard you nearly brought Asami back from the dead!" She offered a warm smile that snapped the tension in the room.

Avan began to recount what he could remember learning about his own abilities. "It all started that night that I..." Even after all this time, it was still a difficult memory to dredge up.

"Don't worry dear." The older woman placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That is in the past now, there is no reason for you to recount it yet again."

Avan looked into her eyes and felt a tinge of relief. "It was just after that when I felt something different, like I was somehow more connected to everyone around me. I don't quite know how to explain it. It's not like I could read thoughts or track people or anything, but it was like...people became more present to me. It was stronger at first actually, but has since faded, or maybe I have just learned to treat it more like noise, I don't know. But, it was in those first moments where I knew something had changed, I knew that my family was truly gone... It hurt...it hurt so much. It wasn't just that they were gone. Amidst everything else I felt, I could see...their bodies, but they were so empty compared to what I felt. " Avan was surprised when a few drops began to fall from his eyes. "When did I start crying?" he thought. "Sorry," he said, wiping his eyes.

"No need for that dear," she replied, offering a small handkerchief.

"I don't think I have ever really talked about these first moments before, with anyone. Honestly, I don't know why I am bringing it up now, I barely know you. But, it feels better to finally have spoken about it."

Korra came over and put a hand on Avan's shoulder. "Gran Gran has some magic that just makes you want to spill the beans to her. I don't know how she does it...probably how she is able to so easily keep up with all the dirt!" Korra chuckled a bit and Katara offered up an innocent smile.

They went on talking about much of what had happened in Avan's life, focusing mainly on his use of bending. They spent considerable time on the events at Air Temple island and Asami's rescue. Katara stopped at least once to comfort Korra. While it was in the past, the memories of that night still evoked strong emotion in the Avatar. It was difficult for her to think about those moments, especially from Avan's perspective, learning about just how close her partner really was to dying. Despite it all, Korra remained attentive as well, trying to understand more about the ability for herself.

Master Katara leaned back and took in a deep breath, "Perhaps I have been too fearful of blood-bending. I have always been so focused on the harm that it could cause." She paused a moment and muttered quietly to herself, "With great power comes great responsibility," before looking back over to the two of them. "I am almost angry with myself for not opening my mind to the possibility of using blood-bending for good, it makes complete sense." She turned her gaze downward to the floor. "Just think of the people that may have been saved over my lifetime if I had considered exercising this ability rather than fighting against it."

"Gran Gran, you shouldn't hold such regrets. You saved so many people and think of those you saved from blood-benders that were not quite as altruistic as yourselves." Korra scanned the two of them.

"Thank you Korra, but I don't really need the pep talk. At my age, you have to have come to the realization that you have made mistakes in your life, but there is no need to waste the remainder of it worrying about them."

"Besides, it's not magic," Avan added, "I don't know if anyone could save someone in Asami's condition more than a handful of times in their lifetime." They both turned back to him.

"What do you mean?" asked Korra.

"By tying blood-bending in with regular healing, it is much more effective. I mean consider that you are using the native element of one's own body, but it isn't free. Smaller injuries, bruises, lacerations, maybe up to simple bone breaks are not too difficult." The two women smirked at the comment.

"Not too difficult...you are too modest Avan," interjected Katara.

"He is," added Korra, eliciting a smile from him.

He took in a breath. "But for extensive injuries, especially those where the person may be in mortal danger."

"Like Asami was?" Korra questioned.

Avan simply nodded in agreement. "Korra, you remember our talks about the forms of blood-bending?" She nodded back. "When using blood bending for healing, you are always sharing part of yourself to promote the process, but when it is...more extensive..."

Korra interrupted, "Wait, I know you seemed wiped out after you helped Asami. We all assumed you were tired, who could blame you. Are you saying that...there is something more permanent?"

"You can't get something for nothing. Even exchange."

Korra's face turned to one of concern. "Why didn't you say something? Couldn't we have healed you afterwards? Is there anything..." Avan cut her off.

"Like Master Katara said, 'There is no need to waste the remainder of your life worrying about decisions in the past.'"

Katara chimed in, "Could you tell us what you mean when you said 'sharing yourself'? What happened exactly?"

"The reason that combining blood bending with regular healing is so much more effective, so much faster is that you are sharing the pain with the other person. You are sharing your own body's ability to heal with the person who is injured. For small things, it has little impact and recovery is minutes, maybe hours."

"But for Asami?" Korra prodded.

"It leaves an enduring mark, so to speak." Avan saw a deep sorrow wash across Korra's face. "Korra, I don't regret it and to be honest, I don't really know what the lasting effect of it might be, but I know that it is not something I am meant to do many times...ever. It leaves you a bit...stretched, thin feeling."

"It may be part of your own spirit that you are sacrificing," said Katara. "It's not something you can measure on of course, but it almost sounds like something beyond mere blood bending...almost transferring life itself."

"Avan...how many times have you done that?" asked Korra.

"Asami was only the second time."

"My dear, of course you control your own destiny, but make sure you don't discount the value of your own life." Avan simply nodded to the older bender with a half smile.

"I think it's just his nature to give a bit too much of himself, Gran Gran."

"All the more reason to believe he truly does have a connection to the Avatars my dear." They all had a bit of a chuckle at the comment.

Avan went on to try and demonstrate some of the techniques he used with Katara. Korra was interested at first, but soon succumbed to the drone of their voices and the warmth of the building and fell asleep, curled in a corner. Even with the new realization of how blood bending could be used, she still believed she could not bring herself to try, much less use, the techniques in practice on another living being. As the evening wore on, they left Korra to rest and went back outside where now Katara took the role of teacher once again. Though time was limited, she showed Avan several techniques for water bending and especially ice bending, upon learning of his weaker knowledge in those forms.

"I'm impressed at how quickly you can adopt new techniques." She said with a wide grin. "You remind me of a younger self, so eager to learn."

Avan stopped with a genuine smile on his face. "I'm honored that you would give me such a complement. Korra has told me about some of your own adventures."

"Oh dear, you give me too much credit. Come, it's getting late now and you should be getting back to the house shouldn't you?"

"Thank you for everything. I'll admit I didn't know what to expect after yesterday, but I'm glad I came and I do understand where you were coming from. Some day, maybe, people will be a bit more accepting...or perhaps it will just die out as a skill."

"Hmmm, I suppose one is as likely as the other. There are so few with the ability." She motioned back to the building, "Come, let's gather up sleepy and get you on your way."

They found a snoring Korra strewn across a bench, one arm and one leg hanging off onto the floor, in the back corner. Katara rolled her eyes at the snoozing Avatar. As she made her way back to her, Avan caught her shoulder and cast a devious grin her way as he tossed a snowball in the air with the other hand. "You're really going to start a snowball fight...with the Avatar? You know she's a South pole native to boot right?" asked Katara with a look of mixed concern and excitement. She received no answer as the widest smile stretched across Avan's face and he wound up.

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It had been a quiet day back at the house. The four of them were so used to being busy with day to day work that they wholly welcomed these times when they could simply lounge around and talk or not talk for hours. It had been some time since Asami had a chance to catch up with Tonraq and Senna and they all took it upon themselves to dig into how Ziara and Avan were doing themselves. In the late afternoon, sleep was overtaking the house. Ziara found herself lounging in the living room with Asami. Warm tea filled their bellies, left for them by a thoughtful Senna. Asami was laid back with a large drawing pad resting on her thighs on which she had been jotting various ideas that came to mind and sketching this and that. Her eyes had grown weary and the world around her was on the verge of disappearing into darkness once again. Ziara had already given in to the weight of her eyelids some time ago, compressed on an overstuffed chair, with legs draped over the side.

A loud bang of the door being blasted open and the accompanying burst of cold air violently pulled them out from slumber as two snow-covered forms trudged inside, barely recognizable. Asami and Ziara scarcely had time to get up and process before Tonraq and Senna also came running down to investigate.

"What the devil is going on here!?" yelled Senna upon seeing a mess of snow having intruded on the living area. All eyes turned toward the snowy forms, already beginning to drip in the warmth of the house.

"Korra!?" hollered Asami. Ziara joined her, "Avan?!"

The two wet fools could do nothing but shrug their shoulders and burst out laughing, leaning on one another to the confused audience.

Tonraq's voice boomed in the room, "Would you care to explain just what happened to you two?"

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The snowball hit Korra squarely on the chin, leaving debris of snow on her face and down her neck. She shot up at the sudden impact and subsequent chill running down her neck. Forgetting where she was, one of her feet slipped and soon she was flat on the floor. The sound of boisterous laughter began to register with her ears and it wasn't long before she noticed the bits of snow and cold and finally pieced together what had happened. She pushed up with a gust of air and spun to get back on her feet, quickly targeting the source of laughter. "Avan!" she yelled.

Master Katara took a few steps away from the boy and offered a few words, "I think this should be your cue to make a run for it." As Korra sped past, she commented, "I warned him, but this should be entertaining."

Continuing to laugh and running for the door, he could sense Korra closing the distance. As she literally flew past Katara and exited the building, she gathered up a wave of snow from her surroundings and thrust it forward after the fleeing boy. It quickly caught up with him and seemed to bury him under several meters of fluffy powder. Korra jumped on top of the mound and announced her victory to the world, "That'll teach you to mess with the Avatar! And in the South Pole of all places, this is my backyard silly!" After a few moments, Korra ceased her celebration and became concerned at a lack of movement or sounds from her quarry.

"Avan, are you okay? Don't play around now!" She started to move her arms to push aside the mound, searching for him. "Seriously, can you hear me?" She began to push the snow away more rapidly. Her attention focused, she was caught completely off-guard when another snowball smashed into the back of her head. She wheeled around to the sight of Avan standing a bit off in the distance with a stupid grin on his face. "What!? How did?!"

"That's twice I've gotten the might Avatar in her backyard!" he interrupted, launching yet another snowball her way. Korra saw this one coming and whisked herself sideways to dodge, only to find it tracked her at the last moment and leaving her eating snow once again as it impacted her squarely in the face. Fury...

It was an all out onslaught of snowy projectiles. Korra stopped just short of calling on the Avatar state to even the score, but her competitive side had clearly been summoned. Avan dodged one way and another and summoned up sheets of ice to block some of the attacks, staying mostly unscathed. Korra would have none of it and combined her air and water bending to finally strike a blow summoning twin cyclones of dense snow. They trapped Avan and forced him aloft, ten or twenty meters into the air. She put on a smug look as the winds died down, leaving the bender dangling in the air from a huge column of snow and ice.

"You're good, I'll have to give you that, but you let me know when you've had enough!" yelled Korra, laughing at Avan's predicament. "When did you learn how to ice tunnel? I'm impressed!"

"You can thank Master Katara for that one! Soooo... Can we still have some fun?"

"You betcha!" responded Korra, taking on an aggressive stance. They both had smiles on their faces and little did they even notice, but Katara did as well, watching the two youngsters from the warmth of the doorway. Avan then had the idea to freeze Korra's feet in a disc of ice and send her spinning, leaving her visibly dizzy and disoriented. In the moment, he tunneled back down from his perch and sent his own barrage of snowballs at Korra, getting several hits before she regained her balance.

"It's important for you to practice with different people, Avatar Korra. Otherwise your skills can become lazy!" yelled Katara over to the battle grounds. Korra blushed a bit, having been caught yet again. They exchanged blows multiple times, each building upon the next. After a time, Master Katara yelled out towards them, "Okay okay kids, it's getting a bit out of hand, take it outside the compound!" The two of them stop for a split second and proceed to chase one another, tunneling through and skiing on the ice, leaving the walls of the compound.

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Back in the living room...

"So we kept at it for a while, Korra mostly in pursuit," Avan continued to tell their story, "and next thing you know...wham, we basically were two big snowballs rolling toward the house, out of control." Avan nodded towards the door and the now nearly melted snow leaving a small puddle around the door. "I guess you know the ending." Korra and Avan shared glances and broke out laughing. It was contagious and the rest soon joined in.

"Okay you kids, go clean up and get yourselves dry and warm," ordered Senna. "First!" added Kya, sending a glare Avan's way. The two of them stopped dead in their tracks. "Don't expect Senna to be the one to clean up this mess!" Feigning hurt feelings, Avan slouched towards the entrance way. "Yes mom." Senna targeted her eyes on Korra, tapping her foot, "Don't expect him to clean up alone!" The two made quick work of the water and leftover snow gathered there before running upstairs. Senna looked over the rest of them with the warm smile only a mother can, "With so much on her shoulders, it really does make me happy when she can just be a kid again, even if only for an evening. She had to miss so much of that growing up as the Avatar." Tonraq moved over to wrap his arms around his wife, while Asami, Kya and Ziara settled in on the couch.

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Late in the evening...

Asami and Korra were wrapped under several layers of furs in the living room as the last embers of a fire struggled to survive. Asami held Korra closely to her chest as they both stared blankly towards the small points of red glow. She had sensed that Korra's thoughts were not wholly in the present with everyone through the evening.

"Korra, talk to me. I know something is on your mind." She weaved her fingers through Korra's brown hair slowly, cradling her head to the side. The Avatar took in a deep, cleansing breath.

"I should have known better than to think I could hide anything from you."

"Love, I know you better than you yourself most of the time."

"Master Katara mentioned something rather...interesting to us during our visit." Asami stayed silent, gently working her hands against Korra scalp. "They not only believe that Avan is somehow connected with some past Avatars, my past, but that there may be others out there with similar connections."

Asami shifted a bit. "I thought you already knew that after our little ordeal."

"Well, yes about him...but others too?"

"There's more, isn't there?" Korra nodded slowly.

"She mentioned that I may even be able to reconnect with my past again. She wasn't sure of course, I mean this has never happened before, but I suppose..." Asami could feel Korra tensing a bit and moved to rubbing her back. "What if I could reconnect to my past? How would we even find them if they are around? Should I even? And would it affect him? I've come to grips with losing them, but there is also so much knowledge that was lost. I don't know what to think." The memory of the events surrounding her original connection being severed rushed back and brought tears to the brim of her eye that Asami caught with a finger.

Asami swaddled Korra in a tight hug. "You don't have to decide any of this tonight. The right decision will come. I trust you...my little Avatar."


	17. Bad Omens

The group spent a few additional days touring the town and visiting with Korra's parents. It was a very relaxing time for all of them who usually suffer through packed schedules. Senna and Ziara, it turned out, got along wonderfully. For Korra's mother, it was really like having a daughter around again. Korra knew that while she was living there as the Avatar in training, their relationship was anything but the traditional mother daughter relationship. She didn't feel any jealousy towards Ziara, only a momentary bit of sadness thinking about how things may have been if she might have been a normal girl.

Avan took time to discuss what Katara had told them regarding the connections to the past. She didn't have much to add regarding what her mother had told them, but she felt the need to apologize to him about the earlier actions. "My mother has a strong sense of duty, I hope everything that happened didn't put you off too much. She really does mean well." He again expressed that while he would have appreciated a less 'intrusive' evaluation, he did understand the reasoning behind her choices.

Finally, they said their good-byes and made their way to the field where Asami's airship was awaiting them. Hugs were traded among them all and even Katara had come to see them off. Senna and Ziara were the two that actually lingered the longest, having developed a strong bond in just the handful of days. When they were making their way up for the final boarding, it was only Korra that noticed Senna slipping a small box into Ziara's hands. She could tell that Ziara was trying to refuse politely, but her mother was insistent. It piqued her curiosity.

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Travel back to Republic city was generally uneventful. Ziara and Avan spent much of their time sitting on deck together, reading some books that Katara had offered them before they departed. Korra was her usual self, exercise and training took up most of her time. They all knew that she was not one to sit down quietly for anything. Asami stayed with Korra for much of the journey in between poking around various parts of the ship, also one not able to let events just unfold around herself.

Ziara put down her book and poked Avan with her foot. "I think I am going to talk to Master Tenzin when we get back about possibly pursuing training with the acolytes, maybe kind of part time if I can. What do you think?"

Avan turned his eyes up to the beautiful girl laying in front of him. Today she was dressed in a water tribe outfit, given to her by Senna during their stay. It was a long tunic of classic blues and white trim with matching blue slacks, a bit more stylish than the casual outfits most people wore and brown boots to complete the ensemble. "How am I so lucky to have this girl that makes every outfit look so gorgeous?" he thought to himself.

"Earth to Avan?" interjected Ziara. He caught himself with a small jolt, not realizing he had been spacing out just a bit. "What do you think of my idea?" she asked again, a bit more forceful this time.

"I'm sorry, I was just..."

"Just what?" she interjected.

"I was just...admiring how you looked in that outfit today," he calmly responded, smiling at her. Several moments passed and he could feel himself warming up as she stared at him. Finally, she cracked a warm smile.

"Okay, I'll let you off...this time." She brought herself up to sit criss-cross toward Avan. "I actually really liked this outfit Senna gave me. It is *so* comfortable, but it still looks really nice. They really have their priorities straight. But-", she leaned forward, "now what do you think about my idea?" He knew she left it vague on purpose to test if he really had been listening. Luckily, Avan had been rolling 20's lately.

"I think it's a great idea. I mean I like the idea of being able to see you more, but Master Tenzin also seemed really impressed by you! I guess you'll have to work it out with your job too?"

"Yeah, true, but I don't think that will be much of a problem."

"When are you going to talk to him about it?"

"I decided as soon as we get back to the city. I was thinking about it most of this trip. While I actually like working with numbers and the management work, something really felt right when you we were working together at the temple. I can't really explain it, but I want to see where it goes. Maybe my destiny doesn't lie behind a desk after all. I had just never even considered such a thing while in the Fire Nation."

Avan put his hands on hers, "I think it's a great idea and I hope you can find what you are looking for."

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Their spirits were slightly down knowing that they would all have to return to their usual work now that they returned to Republic City. Korra had a request to visit the Fire Nation to help quell a brewing dispute between neighboring cities over 'some resource thing' as she referred to it. She realized this was more a public relations mission for the Avatar to assist in working out an agreement. Korra (and Asami) were happy that this was increasingly the job of the Avatar; however, she was still not yet comfortable serving in that role, a natural tendency toward action. Kya and Avan quickly settled back into their routines on Air Temple Island practicing and working in their healing wing. Asami and Ziara returned to their respective roles at Future Industries.

Not long after returning, Ziara asked to speak with Tenzin about training with the acolytes. He was more than happy to have Ziara join the ranks of the air acolytes, even in a more limited sense. He made a few rare exceptions to his own rules, allowing her to join the training while still maintaining her job at Future Industries. Of course, he tried to dissuade her from the part-time plan, but she was quite adamant about taking it just a step at a time. In the end, he acquiesced. "Like the winds, we must all be flexible," he concluded. He also allowed her to arrange to stay at her apartment for work then stay for a couple days with the rest of the acolytes on the island while training with the other acolytes.

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Time passed and everyone settled into new or old routines, as much as their lives could be considered routine anyhow...

Avan was waiting at the docks for Ziara. While they normally saw each other through the week, it had been four days since they had seen one another. The last time being when Ziara was at the island for training. He scanned the few passengers who disembarked first before finally catching sight of the dark haired young woman. "Ziara!" he hollered, waving his hand in the air. She gave up a slightly strained smile as he ran towards. On approach Avan slowed a bit to look over her face. She was beautiful as ever, but he could see her cheeks were down just a bit, dark circles threatened her eyes and her hair was not kept as usual. "Is everything okay? You look, well, exhausted."

She dropped her bag and grabbed Avan in a tight embrace. "It's so good to see you! Work has been so hectic this week. We have several new people that I am supposed to be training in addition to this audit problem after they had to let someone go and ..." She trailed off and tilted her head to steal a slow, gentle kiss. Finally releasing her willing partner, she exhaled deeply, closing her eyes to release some of the pent up stress of the week. "We can talk about all this at dinner." Avan nodded and grabbed her bag with one hand and her hand with the other.

"Are those new? They look good on you."

Ziara smiled, reaching up to rub one of the crescent shaped earrings she wore. "Oh, so you did notice. Korra's mom gave them to me before we left. They were a gift from Master Katara. I had kinda forgotten about them, but noticed them this morning. When I looked at them again, I felt oddly drawn to them. I think they look perfect. I don't know what I did to deserve a gift from her though."

Avan simply shrugged. "She is a hard one to figure out." Changing the subject, "Pema said she was going to be doing an all dumpling dinner tonight since Korra is supposed to be back."

"Sounds great, I could use something homemade. Ready-made soup bowls were starting to really get to me. So, Korra still hasn't returned?"

"Well, she is supposed to be here sometime today. You can imagine she isn't big on keeping a tight schedule."

"Yeah, I could see that," she answered with a light chuckle. They began to make their way up towards the women's dormitories. "I'm beginning to think I might be trying to take on a bit too much. I can feel myself slowly wearing down. I mean this week has been especially tough, but ever before this, it makes for a lot of long days."

"Have you thought about talking to Tenzin and Asami? Maybe you could reduce hours or something? I know they would understand." Ziara put up her hand, politely, stopping him mid-sentence.

"No, no. I committed to this and I'm going to see it through. Asami made arrangements for me to work at Future Industries. It is a great opportunity that others would fight for and I can't just let it go because I took on something else. And I asked Tenzin to work with the acolytes. I still want to see what he thinks he sees in me. No, I'll do it."

Avan gave her a loving, but goofy smile.

"What?!" demanded Ziara.

"You are a very determined person is all. I think both Asami and Tenzin saw that in you."

She gave him a small smirk. "You better not be teasing me." Avan simply waved his hands in denial.

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It wasn't long before Ziara emerged from the dormitory, now clad in the red robe and yellow sash of the acolytes. Avan thought to himself how the robes, which were supposed to be simple, modest, seemed to look so attractive on Ziara. Her dark hair, usually tied up in a small bun or ponytail was now loose. Ziara had let it grow since coming to Republic City and it now fell below the shoulders, still not as long as when they had first met.

"You know, you don't have to wait outside. There aren't any rules that say you can't come inside."

"I know, but I just figured...privacy and all..."

"What? Do you think all the girls just run around naked in the dorm?" Avan felt his cheeks grow warm, eliciting a raucous laugh from Ziara. "You're just too sweet sometimes silly," she said, giving him a small peck on the cheek. "Come on, we should join everyone for dinner before I have to leave for Tenzin's evening meditation."

They could hear laughter and talking emanating from the dining hall well before they approached the door. Since Ziara came over after a work day, it was normal for them to arrive late for the evening's meal. When they opening the door, the hall was comfortably filled with the acolytes, airbenders-in-training, a few visitors to the island and, of course, family. Kya waved them over from the far end of the hall. As they made their way through, Ziara said hello to a few of the other acolytes whom she had come to know a bit over the past few weeks.

Kya addressed them as they came to the family table. "Come on, take a seat and get something to eat. I know Tenzin keeps a strict schedule and will probably be pulling you guys out in fifteen or twenty minutes."

"No Korra?" asked Avan.

Kya shook her head, "Pema got word just a bit ago that she took a detour to the South Pole. She said she might be able to return in another day or two."

They took their seats and were passed various serving bowls to take portions for themselves. They enjoyed the variety of dumplings stuffed with different combinations of vegetables with sides of pickled vegetables and rice while taking a few quaffs of cool mint tea in between.

"I haven't seen you for about a week now Ziara, how is the work and training going?" asked Kya with eyebrows raised just a bit with a look of concern.

"It has been keeping me much busier than I think I originally thought it would. It's my fault though, I don't know what I should have expected since it is almost like taking on two full-time jobs."

"I thought you looked a bit worn out."

"It shows huh?" Kya simply nodded with a kind smile on her lips. Ziara suddenly perked up a bit, hand to her mouth with a slight look of embarrassment. "Oh, Avan! I'm sorry, I didn't even ask you how your week has been. I just started about myself."

He turned to her with half a dumpling sticking out of his mouth, caught off-guard by the sudden change in focus. Mumbling a bit with food stuffed in his cheek, "There's nothing to feel bad about." He gulped down the bite. "It's been a bit busier this week. We have four patients in care now."

Kya interrupted, "We are expecting a fifth in the next hour or so. I'll need your help. I was told it was an industrial accident...chemicals involved." Kya's demeanor visibly fell.

"Hmmm. Those are always...difficult."

"Sorry, I don't want to put a damper on you two."

"I guess we all have our work," Ziara mentioned quietly.

Tenzin walked in which sparked off a new bustle in the hall. Everyone knew that was the cue to begin finishing and cleaning up. Ziara quickly stuffed a few more dumplings in and gulped some tea wash it down before excusing herself from the family table and gathering her own dishes. She gave Avan another peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you later tonight. I hope everything goes well for your patient."

"Thanks. Good luck with your training."

As she walked away, they held hands, stretching to keep the connection for as long as possible, smiling at one another. He watched as she joined a small group of acolytes. They already looked like old friends greeting one another with a noticeable level of excitement. It wasn't long before Tenzin spoke a few words to the group, settling them down quickly. They all proceeded out the hall toward the meditation area.

"How has she been handling training with Tenzin?" asked Kya.

"She has really taken to it." Kya's eyebrows popped up in surprise. "For whatever reason, I think she is just a natural for the air-bending traditions. I mean, not that I really know anything, but even though she comes here kind of worn out and stressed, after the meditation, she is usually recharged."

"Lucky you!" joked Kya. Avan grew a bit pink in the cheeks at the comment.

"Umm, well. What I mean is, her work seems to wear her down, but the training here really seems to do exactly the opposite. Probably the one thing that gets her is that there just isn't a lot of time left in the days for her to actually just rest, physically." He finished up a last remaining dumpling and his tea before getting up with Kya to make way to the healing area. "She was worried at first that the others would be jealous or resentful that she was doing the half and half thing with work and staying at her place in the city, but so far, she says nothing like that has happened. It looks like she has also already become pretty close with a couple of the other acolytes."

They quickly made their way to the healing area and began preparing a single room for their patient. It wasn't long before Ikki came in, preceded by a small gust of air. "The medical ferry just arrived at the dock." The young girl looked troubled and was visibly less energetic than usual.

"What's wrong dear?" asked Kya. They were both taken aback when they saw tears gathering in her eyes.

"It looks really bad." Avan and Kya swapped looks with one another and re-doubled their preparation of the room. Just moments after Avan finished his water-bending to sterilize the area, a Republic City officer poked her head in.

"Lin!? What are!?"

"I'm sorry Kya, Avan. We have the patient here." Kya could sense the urgency and concern on the woman's face.

"Bring him in, quickly," urged Kya. Two additional officers came in carrying a stretcher covered in a white sheet, placing it on the prepared bed. "Just leave the stretcher for now, we'll determine later how we should move him." After gently placing it on the bed, the two officers quickly left, only taking a small glance back at the sheet.

Kya, with Avan standing nearby, gently lifted the corner of the sheet to see the patient's face. They both gasped a bit, but quickly covered up their reaction for the patient whose eyes already betrayed their fear. It was worse than they ever thought. Chemical injuries were always difficult, requiring extensive cleaning as well as healing. The worst of a burn injury with added contamination. Putting on serious faces, they quickly got to work. Lin sat quietly in the corner of the room as she watched the two of them working together. She was impressed as barely a few words passed their lips as they worked. It was choreography around the patient as they would use waterbending to clean, heal or soothe. She watched as they took out salves of various colors and as gently as possible bandaged up the patient, never out of step, always seeming to know what the other would do next. They had to work quickly and carefully, infection was always the greatest concern for injuries of this sort, especially of this extent...

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Ziara fell in with the group as they started with the evening exercises. It was already routine for her and had been for some time for the rest of the acolytes. Tenzin had moved her to the advanced group within the first week as she quickly grasped the forms and motions, surpassing those in the beginner and intermediate groups. This group was much smaller, only five or six acolytes usually, depending on who was available. Although she was very new to all of the training, they accepted her immediately, much to her relief. Tenzin claimed the stretches and movements helped to align their chi to get them in the best frame of mind for meditation. Ziara hadn't quite caught on to the purposes of everything, still concentrating mainly on the mechanics of the training, but she did find that the exercises always left her with a lightened feeling in body, mind and soul. She didn't mention this to anyone, assuming others had a similar experience. Ziara looked forward to this release of stress after a week's work.

"Are you going to see Avan after tonight's mediation?" asked one of the girls next to Ziara. It was Mi Yun. She was only a few years older than Ziara, but her hair was already mostly white with just a few streaks of sandy blond still showing through. Her face had sharp features of someone who seemed ten or twenty years older that were only highlighted further by her darker skin color. Though originally from the Earth kingdom, she had been living in the city for almost as long as she could remember. Ziara sometimes wondered what kind of hardships she might have gone through to that seemed to have aged her so prematurely.

"I was hoping to. I arrived late today so we barely got past 'hello' before I was stuffing my face and leaving again."

"Well, that's not a 'no'," added Rin from in front of the two of them. Rin didn't even know his own origins. He had been found in the streets of the city. After being caught shoplifting for who knows how many times, Lin brought him to Tenzin who opened the doors for him. He was good at heart and somehow she saw that he was just desperate. They all guessed he had at least some water tribe heritage, but no one really knew. "We know you spend a lot more time in the city than all of us, but several of us and a few from the other classes were going to head to the city tonight for some desserts at Jennamini's. Would you want to join us?" Ziara thought a moment. "Avan is welcome to come too of course." Ziara smiled at the suggestion.

"It's not like they're joined at the hip or anything, Rin," offered Mi Yun.

"Not like the two of you, right?" accused Ziara.

"What?" said Mu Yun.

"Huh?" questioned Rin.

Ziara had quickly suspected there was an attraction between the two, almost as soon as she met them. Though she couldn't tell who was the more dense one that hadn't been able to figure it out. Ziara simply laughed, "I'm just messing with you guys." Mu Yun and Rin laughed, perhaps a bit nervously, swapping glances at one another. "One day I'll get them to admit it to each other," thought Ziara. "I'm a bit tired...but I would love to come! I'll check with Avan too once we finish tonight."

"Great!" they announced in unison.

"Ahem!" Tenzin quickly got their attention. "Now if we are all through with preparation, let us rest and take a few moments to meditate. Try to allow yourselves to become lost in the night air, in the gentle motions of nature around yourselves. Allow yourselves to become connected to the air around you."

They all quickly settled down and closed their eyes. While a few of the other acolytes had commented on how this was the 'boring' part of the day, Ziara felt that she was able to gain something of a different perspective on the world during these moments. If only she had known meditation would have worked so well for her, she would have worked on it much earlier in life.

She positioned herself in a neutral stance, closed her eyes and naturally her breathing slowed. She had no idea how others felt during this time, but sometimes it was almost like the world melted away around her. Everything grew quiet and dark. She had experienced the sensation of losing track of time before and this wasn't really any different. The evening light with closed eyes left her mind in darkness.

After a time, Ziara felt a strange shiver go down her spine. It wasn't fear or touch, but a feeling of coldness that almost seemed to flow out from her back. She swore that she jumped and opened her eyes, but nothing. The darkness endured. Moreover, she lost all sense of her own body. Arms, legs, and her head all seemed to have dissolved into this blackness. She somehow knew they were there, but there was no feeling, no sensation of any kind of the surroundings. She tried to speak, yell, scream, but nothing. It felt as if her own voice were taken and no sound reached her ears. Panic. Fear. Escape. These thoughts ran through her head in a conscious sense, but for some reason the emotion did not come. "Why am I not feeling fear, I should...," she thought. The dissociation between experience and emotion was quite confusing. Slowly a few stars began to appear in her vision. "The night sky?" she wondered. The sense of cold slowly dissolved away, replaced by a sense of warmth. There was a quiet voice that she struggled to hear.

"Ziara..."

"My name?" she thought.

"Ziara..."

Suddenly the whole experience was ripped from her mind's eye. The stars flew away from her and there was an onslaught of sensation impacting her mind. The sight and sounds of the mediation area assaulted her vision and senses. Tenzin was standing directly in front of her, mouth moving, but she couldn't yet hear. Mi Yun held her shoulders. Earthquake. No, she was being shaken.

"Ziara!"

With the grogginess of coming out of sedation, Ziara formed a few words. "What? Why are you shaking me?" Mi Yun stopped and stared into Ziara's eyes with a look of concern that puzzled the Fire Nation native.

"You're back." Mi Yun gave Ziara a hug.

She was still utterly confused at what was going on. She simply began to pat Mu Yin's back, absentmindedly.

"I-I don't understand." Ziara had such a confused look on her face that only increased the level of worry in the faces of the other acolytes. "Why are you all staring at me. What happened?"

Finally Tenzin spoke, "Ziara, my dear. After we finished the evening's meditation, you simply remained still. You weren't responding to anything." Everyone's eyes were on her and she had no answers, but reality slowly came to her. It was no dark.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly nine o'clock now," answered Tenzin.

"Almost an hour past the usual end of the day for the group," she thought to herself. Her eyes betrayed what her mind was coming to grips with.

Tenzin correctly interpreted the woman's confused look. "How long did it feel like you were...out?"

"I-I swear that it's only been a few moments since I sat here. Ten, fifteen minutes at most. I-I don't understand how I could have lost track of time like that."

Tenzin brought his face a bit closer to Ziara's. In another situation, one may have thought it to be uncomfortably so, but there was a deeper intent on the airbending master's face. It was as he was trying to look through her. "Ziara. Do you remember anything?"

For some reason, she had not thought on her experiences during the mediation, but visions and feelings all came rushing to the forefront of her mind now. She described the experience to Tenzin in a flood of words and gestures. He sat in front of her listening, joined by the majority of the acolytes as well. Ziara recounted much of the detail about how it felt, trying to describe the feeling of her reason and emotion being so disjointed. "It was cold and I knew I should be frightened by everything I was experiencing, but for some reason...something was preventing it. Instead it became warm, almost pleasant. It was like I was removed from my body, but at the same time floating in a warm bath. No sensation, but yet it was there." She stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry I know this sounds crazy."

Tenzin reached out and took her hands in his. They were surprising warm and strong. She didn't really expect that from the older man. "Ziara, what you experienced tonight. I-I don't know what it is, I can't give you any answers, but it is anything but crazy. I think you may have done something that very few are ever able to accomplish, much less non-benders." This perked up the group and Ziara. "I'm not sure, but I believe you may have reached into the spirit world in some way, or come close to it. Tell me is there anything else you remember?"

She thought a moment more, "The night sky."

"Night sky?"

"Yes, I think I might have seen...no, maybe...maybe I was floating in what seemed to be the sky, with stars around. But, I don't remember any ground or anything else around me. After that, the next thing I recall was being shaken back here."

"Hmm." Tenzin rubbed his chin in thought. He smiled at Ziara. "My dear, I have to admit I am almost jealous. I have always had such a difficult time with my own spiritual side and here in just a few weeks it seems you may be on the cusp of it yourself. If it is okay with you, I would like to discuss this with Jinora. She has always been tightly synchronized with the realm. She may be able to work with you better than I on these matters." There was a general level of awe in the the group, Ziara included. "That is, if you would desire to do so of course." Ziara could barely get herself to do anything but simply nod in response. "Very well."

After surrounding Ziara and peppering her with additional questions, for which she was, to her dismay, unable to really offer any explanation, the group slowly calmed. "I think that will be all for the evening," offered Tenzin, dismissing the group of acolytes. They all made their way back to the dormitories. She could over hear a couple of the acolytes talking about her experience, ones whom she didn't know very well, but she was relieved that most were concerned _for _her rather than about her experience.

"Are we still on for Jennamini's?" she asked Rin.

"Oh well, yeah, sure, of course...if you're up for it," he pieced together.

"Will it be weird now because of tonight? I feel fine."

Mi Yun pushed Rin back a bit, "I think it is even better tonight after what happened. We can get away a bit from the island. It's been quite a few weeks since we've been out. Let's meet up at the docks about ten thirty then?"

Ziara nodded. "I'll meet you there then!" she yelled as she peeled off from the pair, heading up toward the main buildings.

"Tell Avan I said 'hello'," offered Mi Yun. Ziara simply waved back to her. She could feel her body was beginning to ache, whether from fatigue or something to do with her experience, she didn't know, but her spirit and mind felt very alive. She couldn't help but smile widely the whole way to see Avan.

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Ziara made her way to the family's rooms near the central area of the island, almost skipping along. Most of the island was settled in for the evening, but a few still roamed the halls. None paid her much attention. As she approached Avan's room, it was dark. After knocking lightly, she slid open the door slightly to see that it was, in fact, unoccupied. "Doesn't even look like he's been here yet," she surmised. Visiting Kya's room, she found it in a similar state. "Could they still be…," she began to form up a conclusion when Pema turned the corner and saw her.

"Oh, good evening Ziara," she uttered, just a bit startled.

"Good evening, do you happen to know where Avan is tonight?"

Her face turned down a bit, "Still at work I would guess. There was an accident in the city tonight. Lin brought over a boy in pretty bad shape." Pema paused a bit to think, "I don't believe they would mind if you poked your head in."

"Thanks Pema!" she returned before heading back out, at a now decreased pace from before.

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As she approached the entrance, she could see the lights still on, though it was quiet. With a light rap on the door, Lin answered. They had not had much interaction with one another, but she did not demonstrate any surprise to see Ziara standing there.

"Ziara," she said simply. Lin turned back toward Kya and Avan for a moment to gather any objection. Receiving none, she ushered the younger woman inside. They sat next to one another in silence for few minutes. Just as Ziara made a start to speak, it was Lin who broke the silence.

"He and his partner were investigating an alarm at the Hawking Chemical plant. Charan apparently saw a suspect and ran in alone. His partner just heard a crash. He said that he ran in after and found him buried under a rack of chemicals that had been toppled over by earthbending. He's lucky his partner didn't stray far and was able to pull him out and clean him off so quickly that he is even alive. The initial exposure though... damage was already done." Lin grew quiet for a moment. It almost looked as if she were going to shed a tear, but instead she steeled herself. "He should never have gone in alone...but, that doesn't matter now. He's lucky to have been partnered with a waterbender or I fear he would have never made it this far. Those scars…." Lin trailed off again, absentmindedly placing her hand against her cheek.

"Kya and Avan are amazing, if anyone can fix this, they can." The older woman finally looked at her directly and put on a somewhat forced smile. Several more minutes of silence passed. "I'm surprised you're here. I mean, is it normal for the chief to escort everyone in these cases?" Lin gave Ziara a glare at the question before toning down her visage. Ziara, upon realizing the possible implication in her question threw up her hands in mock surrender, "I didn't mean…."

Lin cut her off, putting a hand to her shoulder to put her at ease. "I suppose it isn't 'normal' for a chief to be here in a case such as this, but I hardly qualify. I take such attacks on my force as attacks on myself, to a fault, I am the first to admit." Lin stood up, only looking toward Kya and Avan working at the bedside. "Keep a balance in your life. I have always weighed work too heavily and for that I am old and on my own. You shouldn't follow such a path."

Ziara felt a deep sense of sorrow at these words for the chief, but before she even had a moment to come up with words of comfort, the still armor-clad woman was moving away toward the center of the room. She decided to follow, though she stayed several steps back.

Kya was working water, concentrating on the neck and shoulders of the man. Avan had his eyes closed and was moving slowly over the man's face. She had been in sessions while he worked enough now to recognize that he was harnessing his bloodbending for healing. While never admitting it to him or anyway, watching the bending always worried her after he had described how using it for healing required some level of exchange from himself.

She had no way of knowing exactly how long they had been at it, but based on the stress on their faces and sweat on their brows, it was several hours at least. Now closer, Ziara began to take in the extent of the injuries. Most of the man's face was still bright pink from burns. It was more the pink of newly healed skin than of fresh damage, but many pockmarks and lng scars remained easily visible from the initial damage. She wondered just how poor his condition must have been when they first arrived to still be at this stage.

"How is he doing?" asked Lin. Kya looked at the woman after throwing her globule of water into a nearby basin.

Kya took in a deep breath and pushed back her greyed hair, now quite unkempt, even for her. "Stable now…but there is still extensive damage." She stood up and moved to another basin to splash water on her own face before bending it back off to the drain. "I believe we have been able to remove most of the chemicals and that allowed his heart and breathing to stabilize. I fear he will have to live with probably extensive scarring though. There is only so much anyone can do for damage that was…."

"So extensive," finished Lin. "I-I should go back to the city. I will need to complete the report on the incident and," she exhaled slowly "and make some arrangements for his family."

Avan now relaxed his arms and slumped a bit taking in quick breaths as he had just come from vigorous training. "Do you know his family?" he asked.

Lin glanced up in thought, "Wife. Three children, school age." Avan sighed.

Kya placed a hand on Lin's. "We will do everything we can Lin. Come by tomorrow afternoon. I think we should wait until he is more recovered before bringing the family by, but perhaps just his wife." Lin simply nodded before stepping out.

"Sorry I was late," said Avan. Ziara looked at him and gave him a punch to the shoulder.

"I don't think this is a time for joking," she scolded.

"Sorry." He went to move towards her, his head went light and he missed a step, almost falling. Ziara grabbed him with surprising reflexes. "Woah. Thanks. I-I guess this took a bit more out of me than I originally thought." She moved him over to the bench on the side.

"Avan, I'm a bit worried about you."

"It's just been a long day is all. I'll be better once I get some rest. This case was just a bit more...extensive than we were first led to believe."

"That is what I am worried about." She put her hand to his cheek and turned it towards her to look him eye to eye. "Kya and yourself always are going to have some of the worst cases, but I worry that sometime you may put too much of yourself into your patients. Never forget that your own life has value. I value it."

He grinned back at her. "Thanks. It is difficult at times to not hold anything back. You just want to do everything you can." He looked back at her with calming eyes. "Don't worry, I know there are limits. My limits."

Kya had finished the last of the dressings on the patient and was beginning to clean up. As Avan made to stand, she ushered him back. "Don't worry, I can handle this, and the evening watch should be here shortly so I can get rest of my own. Go rest, spend some time with that girl there." Ziara blushed just a bit.

"Thanks mom." Kya smiled back at them as they left. She was happy how, over the past several weeks, using the term 'mom' had seemed to become so natural to him.

They stepped out into the cool of the night. "Rough night I guess?" she asked. He nodded. "I wouldn't suppose you would want to get some desserts with a couple of us tonight? Take your mind off things maybe?" asked Ziara. "Jennamini's," she enticed.

He gave her a warm smile. "Under any other circumstance, I would love to, but I am just worn out tonight. I think the best they would get is me asleep with my head on the table. Raincheck?"

"You bet." She gave him a look of concern.

"Don't worry about me, have a good time. I'll see you in the morning?" he wasn't sure if it was in fact a question or a statement. She simply winked, which didn't clear it up at all. Wrapping her arms around the fatigued young man, she held him tight and brought her lips to his for a strong kiss.

"Good night," she whispered into his ear. The light sounds and airy voice sent chills down his spine as she quickly broke off and headed out.

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After cleaning himself up, Avan flopped onto his bed and sleep overtook him almost instantly. It had taken effort to prop up his eyelids to this point and he had no more fight in him. It felt like mere seconds before he found himself in a vast, dark desert on a moonless night. Only the faintest of light was available to make out the lack of features over the landscape, nothing but dunes as far as he could see.

"What is this place?" he thought to himself.

A part of him knew this was part of a dream, but at the same time it still felt so real. Trying to move felt like trudging through molasses, and yet the landscape flew past in a blur with each step. It was like he was running in slow motion while the world around him was thrown into fast forward. No matter the direction, the landscape never changed, endless stretches of desert.

There was sudden shift in the air. At first, it started as a slight chill radiating from one direction, but it slowly grew. As he whipped around, it was the stars he noticed and the lack thereof. In the far distant horizon, there was a growing darkness. The deepest black began to consume both the ground and sky alike. It was growing. Instinctually, Avan ran. The world flew by, but each time he glanced back, the void grew, devouring the landscape in its path. It wasn't long before his heavy breath became visible. There was a chill that crept through his limbs and eventually started to cool his core. In a flash, all was dark. It was nowhere and everywhere. He could sense some presence and yet his senses told him that he was now trapped in nothingness, and it was closing in on him. The tightness grew. Closer and closer. Pushing in on him.

There was a cold fear that shot through him, something beyond even the times when he was stricken with nightmares of his past. A feeling as if his heart was almost being ripped from his chest. Unable now to speak, breathe, even gasp.

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"Avan!"

He shot up from his bed. The light stung his eyes at first before his room slowly came into focus. He flailed out his arms, against some unknown entity. He felt a light blow take purchase.

"Ow! What's the deal?"

Finally, he gathered awareness to see Ziara sitting on the floor, rubbing her shoulder.

"Spirits! I'm sorry, I was having a dream…," he stopped his speech and jumped out of bed to offer a hand.

"It looked more like a nightmare. It was getting late and we were wondering where you were. It's not like you to sleep in."

"Late? I feel like I just went to bed."

"It's nearly noon now."

"What?!"

"Is everything okay?"

Avan thought a moment, attempting to recall his dream/nightmare. "No, no I don't think it is," he answered, staring at Ziara with fear glazed on his eyes.


	18. Missing Persons

AN: I'm still here! It has been a while since the last update, but I am working on this story, though much less than I wish I could. Work and life have simply become...busy. Blah blah, you know the excuse. On the bright-side, I think I have an outline of the rest of this particular arc, now the hard part, getting it into the text. Thanks to everyone that has burned through all these chapters!

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"You look like you've seen a ghost," said Ziara, "you're a bit pale and clammy." She reached out and put her hand to the side of Avan's neck. It felt a bit colder than usual to the touch, though nothing exceptionally concerning. "What is it you saw in your dream?"

Avan's facade had settled back to normal already, but his eyes were still widened. "It's not really what I saw, but what I didn't, or couldn't see." Ziara gave him a truly puzzled look. "In my dream, I started out in the middle of a desert. There was nothing there. I remember sand and dunes. It was night. Stars, no moon. But there was this-this thing that began to devour everything. it came upon me, more quickly the faster I tried to get away. I was trapped; it felt as if I was being torn apart form the inside." Avan finally turned to Ziara with his normal, calm eyes. "Then, you pulled me out of my sleep."

She held her hand against his cheek in a motherly way. "It was just a dream though."

"It just felt so real...vivid." She moved in to squeeze him in a tight embrace, snapping the last bits of his mind back to the present. He got up from the bed and began walking over to his dresser when his vision grew blurry and he stumbled to the floor. Ziara jumped to help him up. "Uugghh..." As she ushered him into a chair, the world slowly refocused.

"Avan, you're starting to worry me. Are you really okay?"

"I-I think so. I really didn't think I pushed myself that hard last night. I'm usually really careful about it, honest." After a few minutes, he made another attempt that was more successful. Avan threw on some fresh clothes. "I probably just need some food and I should check on the officer from last night. I'm sure Kya is already there."

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They were on their way to the healing rooms after grabbing a pair of egg sandwiches from the dining hall. Ziara stopped on the path, looking up slightly to the sky. "You know, maybe it is coincidence, or maybe not." Avan now was the one giving the puzzled look. "Yesterday, during the evening meditation, I had, well, I guess it was a vision." He stopped to give her his full attention. "Tenzin thinks it may have been close to connecting with the spirit world. I'm supposed to have a real sit down with Jinora, Master Jinora, later today."

"That's great...right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"What is it?"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence, but my vision also of a night sky." She stared back into his eyes. "It wasn't quite like your dream, but I was scared in the beginning. It became...comfortable though; I felt warm, almost comforted. I heard my name being called, but I couldn't recognize the voice at all." The two of them stood and stared at one another for some time. "Do you think we should mention this to someone? Tenzin maybe?"

"I don't know. It's probably nothing. We were both tired and it was the night. Maybe ask Jinora about it when you meet with her and see what she thinks?" Ziara simply nodded in agreement.

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The two women sat, legs crossed, facing one another in the front corner of the temple. While they had not had much opportunity to get to know one another, they found themselves to quickly be comfortable, as old friends almost. Jinora was rubbing her chin in thought about the experience Ziara had described and Avan's dream. "Well, it's difficult to say if there is any connection between your vision and his dream. Something as general as a night sky comes up pretty often, but it does seem a bit odd that you both experienced it the same night." The airbender began to twirl her hair through her fingers, looking up into the deep blue sky. "At this point, I would call it coincidence. I mean, you two _do _have a connection, right?" She wiggled her eyebrows at her hardly subtle implication. Ziara mockingly threw up an expression of utter surprise. "Maybe you are just more in sync with each other than you realized." After the two of them shared a laugh, Jinora suggested they get down to business.

"Do you recall anything special about your meditation last night? Perhaps thinking about something or someone, an event? Sometimes there can be a certain frame of mind that can help you to more easily make connections. How did you feel?"

"I can't think of anything special really or unique to that night. I was excited to see Avan, it had been several days. I have been stressed, exhausted really, maybe more than usual, but, again, nothing new I don't think."

"Well, that's okay. Let's just try to sit and relax. I'm going to turn out most of the lights inside, that usually helps too. Is that alright?" Ziara simply nodded as she closed her eyes and relaxed herself.

The light in the room slowly dimmed. She popped her eyes open to see the airbending master slowly moving her hands through the space between them, her eyes closed. An invisible puff of air gently extinguished each one around the room. She turned a smile towards Jinora. "How can you do that with your eyes closed?"

Jinora opened her eyes. "Oh well, it's not too hard once you get the hang of it. You see the heat from each of the candles disturbs the air just slightly and you can pick up on that disturbance to direct the puffs to put them out." The airbender stared at the wide-eyed woman for several seconds before she could no longer keep a smile from cracking on her own face. Laughing, she continued, "Also, I've lived here my whole life and have just memorized the locations of the lighting. One in each corner, one each on the sides and the two on the ceiling."

Ziara snapped out of her awe. "Wait, what?" jinora simply returned an innocent smile. "So you aren't detecting the little bits of heat?"

"No...although that is a pretty awesome idea. I never thought of that, but it would require the perfect conditions to be able to sense something that slight."

"Still, I think it is pretty awesome." She paused a moment. "Okay, sorry, back to the meditation."

Ziara was having difficulty getting into a relaxed frame of mind. As usual, _trying _to relax can sometime be an exercise in futility. With a a bit of direction from Jinora and extra time, slowly she was able to summon a sense of peace and felt the world and sounds around her dissipate. She had no feel for how much time had passed since they first sat, but slowly she began to feel what could only be described as a slight pull. It wasn't a physical sensation per se, but yet she could feel it throughout the entirety of her body, as if slowly emerging from her own skin. A voice took form, almost as if coming from her own mind in how it was so all-encompassing. "Good. Good. Try to focus on just my voice…." Ziara didn't really understand what that meant, but continued to try and sink herself deeper and deeper into the feeling of warmth that she had started to feel once again.

She found herself in a sea of darkness, but it for some reason it felt more familiar this time. Panic and fear did not materialize nearly as strongly this time. "That is different," she thought, or was it spoke, she was having difficulty now telling the difference. There was a miniscule point of light that she could see far off. An invisible dot on an invisible dot. She felt drawn to it. She willed herself towards it. As it grew, she could begin to make out all manner of colors from the source. Ziara felt that she was moving faster and faster until the whole of her vision was taken by a nearly incomprehensible landscape that she could do nothing but stare with a slack jaw.

It seemed to be a timeless moment. An assault on all of her senses. The hues were more vivid than anything she had ever seen, no, ever imagined. She felt the perfect warmth that could only be granted on the most beautiful of summer days, but with no sun. The light just seemed to emanate from everything. There was a breeze that almost caused her to shudder. It felt as if it tingled each individual nerve along her whole being. Ziara suddenly felt slight pressure on her shoulder, and she wheeled around to confront its source. She rubbed her eyes in utter disbelief. "Jinora?" The girl-entity nodded to Ziara. "You-you look so beautiful! But...I-I, what, where…."

Jinora could see that Ziara was having a bit of difficulty taking everything in. Her eyes darted about and she could see Ziara's chest rising quickly to catch breath. She smiled to her and placed a finger to her lips. "Shhh. I know it is a lot to take in. Welcome to the spirit world Ziara."

It took some time for Ziara to settle down, but eventually she regained control of her emotions and the two of them were sat in the middle of a warm field of flowers that slowly changed from pink to blue and back again with the movement of the winds.

"It can be a bit overwhelming the first time to take all this in, and it is different for everyone."

Ziara finally felt capable of forming a few coherent thoughts. "Jinora, you-you look have wings?"

"Oh yeah, that." Jinora paused just a moment and the pair of butterfly-like wings dissolved into a kaleidoscope of butterflies that drifted off into the distance, leaving her appearing more like her usual physical world self. "In the spirit world, you and the things around you can be heavily influenced by your own spirit. How you experience it will change based on who you are and who is around you. There is a lot to learn about this world."

"Uh-huh." Ziara nodded blankly.

"Even something as simple as moving from place to place doesn't work here like in the physical world. You can traverse hundreds or thousands of miles, at least that is how it will seem, in a split second. Other times, you may be wandering and it could feel like weeks to move a few steps. Really, there is no reason for there to be any distance between spirits, but it is a way our minds cope with such a different way of existing. When you become more comfortable here and learn more about the different areas, you'll be able to instantly move from place to place. Come on, there's someone you should meet." Jinora took Ziara's hand as the surroundings suddenly blurred around them until coming to rest in front of what she swore was a tea shop.

"Uncle Iroh?" Jinora called out, poking her head in the door. She turned to Ziara whispering, "He's not really, but he insists." Ziara jumped as a pair of hands gripped her shoulder. She whirled around ending up face to face with a rotund, older gentleman with a long flowing beard before she took a few steps back. It took her a moment, but she soon recognized who this Iroh' in fact was.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Uncle Iroh!"

"Jinora, it's so good to see you again. It has been while. How are things in the other world? How are Korra and Asami getting along? It's been…." Iroh put his finger to his temple in thought for a moment, "Well, to be honest, I have no idea how long it's been since they last visited, but it feels like they are due. Tell Asami the Pai Sho board is always ready." Jinora nodded as Iroh continued on for some time before finally appearing to have completed his introductory remarks. "Oh, and who is this lovely young woman. She isn't familiar to me." Jinora nudged Ziara who tentatively stepped forward.

"Um. My name is Ziara. I-uh-work for Asami actually and I'm also training with the other acolytes with Tenzin. I'm originally from the Fire Nation, sir. It-it is an honor to meet you...sir." Ziara looked unsure and took a slight bow towards the elder, who burst out laughing. Ziara's face grew a deep crimson, unsure of what to do. "You-you are a, um, former Crown Prince, son of Fire Lord Azulon, are you not?"

It had taken Jinora a while to catch onto why Ziara was acting as strange as she was, but upon hearing this she put it all together. Iroh proceeded to talk the woman down a bit. "I'm sorry, it's just you are something of a legend in the histories, and to meet you, here."

"A bit overwhelming perhaps. I am guessing this is your first time to the spirit world, is it not?" Ziara nodded. "Jinora, you sure are putting her through the ringer. Come let's have some tea!"

They sat as Iroh went about setting the table and preparing the tea and a few snacks for the small group. Ziara sniffed the air, catching the scent of the brewing leaves. "That smells heavenly!" Iroh smiled at her excitement. As they sat, sipping slowly, as Iroh relayed a few stories about Korra in the spirit world and described some of the areas both to visit and avoid. After they finished, Jinora piped up with something that had been on her mind for a time.

"It seems oddly quiet. I can't remember the last time I visited and we have been alone."

Iroh's face took on a friendly, but slightly more serious expression. "Yes, this has not been lost on me either. Some of the spirits that I used to see constantly have been holding themselves scarce, but I have not been able to find out anything as to why. I can't help but feel there is something suspicious going on, but I simply don't know." He quickly put on his normally cheerful, inviting visage. "This will always remain a friendly stop for anyone venturing through the wilds. Speak of the devils!" As he spoke, they looked out to see several spirits approaching. Ziara was unable to identify the forms of any of them, but concluded that at least they all appeared very friendly.

Iroh turned to Jinora before leaving to greet the oncoming group. "By the way Jinora, if it is this pretty lady's first time here, don't you think it would be a good idea to return soon?" he spoke with a smile and a wink.

"Oh. Oh! I forgot!" She quickly grabbed Ziara's hand. "Thank you Uncle Iroh! We'll see you again soon!"

"Thank you for the tea! It was delicious!" added Ziara, as Jinora pulled her away. They could see Iroh waving to them as his tea shop quickly disappeared. "Why the rush all of a sudden?"

"I'm sorry. I forgot to mention this and I should know better since I am your guide!" Jinora shook her head in disappointment to herself. "You can't stay in the spirit world for too long. The longer you spend here, the weaker your spirit's link with you physical body will become. It can make it more difficult to return...up to the point where you may never be able to. Over time you can spend longer periods separated, but…."

Ziara cut her off. "This is my first time."

"Yes. I'm sorry, time is difficult to keep track of here. Don't worry, you will be fine, it hasn't been that long. But-you may feel a bit weakened when we return. You'll recover after a good night's rest though."

"So how do we get back?"

"Going back is usually the easy part. Just think of, well, home. Imagine yourself back in the physical world. Think about the feeling of your body on the ground, the weight of your arms and legs and your body breathing. You can think of…."

Before Jinora could even finish her instruction, Ziara suddenly felt as if the world around her snapped back into place. She was again sitting in the temple with Jinora sitting directly in front of her as the details of the temple slowly came back into focus. She put her hand to her head in an effort to prevent it from spinning. "That return trip is _really _disorienting!"

Jinora was calm and took Ziara's hands in her own. "Don't worry, it becomes much easier to transition back and forth after you do it a few times. The first time you feel that disconnection is definitely...an experience." The airbender grinned widely and gave Ziara a hug. "You did great! I'm super impressed really! There are not many people who can make the connection you just did and most take quite a bit of time and effort to let themselves travel between the worlds." She put her finger to her chin. "Even fewer non-benders; although honestly, most non-benders never really try. I guess it could be kind of dangerous." Jinora rambled on for a bit as Ziara stared at her before coming back to the moment. "Oh sorry, I can sometimes get a bit talkative."

"So I've heard," Ziara commented with a smile.

"How do you feel?"

"I was dizzy, and everything was blurry for a while, but I'm better now. Tired. A bit hungry too."

"That will lessen over time too. It takes quite a bit of effort to stretch yourself between two worlds. We should grab sometime to eat and you should probably take it easy the rest of the day." Jinora looked at Ziara again, almost like a proud parent. "Tenzin is going to be so amazed you did it!" she said excitedly as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around the acolyte. Ziara tried to share the excitement that was being levied upon her, but, internally, she was still unsure what this connection of hers meant.

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Ikki and Meelo stuck their heads into the healing room. Ziara had returned to spend some time with him before the evening meal, skipping the afternoon training with Tenzin on Jinora's orders. "Korra is on her way, she got back in town this afternoon!" Just as quickly, they disappeared once again.

"Those kids adore Korra as much as their own mother, I swear," stated Ziara.

"More so maybe," responded Kya, "of course, Korra doesn't have the burden of actually needing to be a mother to them, so she has always had the advantage."

"It will be good to see her anyway. I'm surprised she was gone for so long and we haven't heard much about what she's been up to. She is an independent one though," said Avan.

"Yes, but I know Tenzin, Asami and everyone else wishes she would do better to not take so much on her own shoulders, but maybe that is just how the Avatar is destined to be."

They had been able to release all their patients throughout the day except for the officer, Charan. While he seemed physically stable, he had not awoken since he was brought to them the night before, which was beginning to concern Avan and Kya. In the end, they concluded that allowing him to rest may be best for the healing process at least in the short-term and to reevaluate later in the evening.

They had been expecting Lin, and the grey-headed metal bender, almost on cue, lightly knocked at the entrance before stepping inside with another uniformed woman they didn't recognize. She was quite tall, silvery-blue eyes and had her dark brown hair tied up in a tight bun. "Kya, Avan, Ziara, this is Nukka, Charan's partner," introduced Lin. They shared a few quiet greetings before getting to the business at hand. "So, how is he doing?" She looked over the mostly covered patient in the middle of the room with a calm, almost disconnected, expression on her face. As her eyes met his face, still unmoving with sleep, she paused for some time. "The two of you are miracle workers, I hope you know that." Despite Lin's complement, they could see Nukka's face was wracked with concern over her partner's condition. After a few moments, she put her hand to her mouth. Ziara could see tears welling up in her eyes and moved to comfort her instinctively.

Avan spoke up. "We spent most of the day trying to repair and reconstruct the skin on and around his face, head and neck. I think we have probably taken it as far as we can." When Lin had left in the earliest hours of the morning, she didn't believe there was much of a face left to repair. The chemicals had left his face with little more than a reddish, melted mass of skin on most of his body from his shoulders on up. Today, he had most of his features back, though partially hidden or smoothed due to a large amount of swelling. "The swelling in his face will go down over time. The extra fluid there will actually help the healing. I'm not sure how much of the skin color will return or how quickly. It's likely he will always retain some of the scarring, but if we're lucky, it will be more like recovering from a major sunburn rather than, well, you know."

Lin breathed a sigh. "I think he and his family will be grateful at the degree of recovery you've been able to grant him. Even if they may never forgive me for putting him through it in the first place." Kya moved over to Lin to offer a hand and some comfort.

"It's not your fault. How could they blame you?"

"I'm the chief. In the end, what happens to every officer in the line of duty is my responsibility. These are my kids."

"Lin, you put too much on yourself. You're about as bad as Korra."

"Thanks," she responded.

"When can we expect his to awaken?"

Kya turned to Lin with an air of concern across her face. "That's something that has us worried. He still hasn't awoken since you brought him here last night. Was he unconscious since his partner found him? Rest is good, but for him to not awaken at all since..." Based on her expression alone, Lin didn't need Kya to say anything more.

Avan turned to Lin. "Chief Beifong?"

"Hmm," she responded is a disconnected way.

"Was he at all responsive when found? Did he scream or shout out?"

Lin turned to the Nukka who had sat on a bench on the side with Ziara rubbing her back gently. Upon noticing the attention, Nukka stood up, fixing her uniform a bit and sniffing a bit to recapture her composure. "There's no need for the formality dear." The warmth in Lin's voice somewhat surprised everyone. "You have every right to feel as you do."

"Chief, I...thank you." The officer thought a moment and though a bit choked, spoke firmly. "When I found him, he was already down. Buried under a mess of spilled containers. I only heard the distant crash. We were lucky everything was shut down; if the factory had been processing, I doubt I would have heard the commotion. Sorry, I didn't heard any screams, shouts or otherwise." She watched as Ky and Avan shared glances. "What does that mean?"

"We don't know for certain, but it is strange that he both remained silent through so much trauma and hasn't woken or made any conscious movement since," responded Avan. He glanced to Kya again, then back towards Lin and Nukka. "During the healing, he also felt...distant." While Lin had only a mild reaction, Nukka responded with a look of puzzlement.

"Distant? What do you mean?" asked his partner. Avan again glanced to Kya, knowing that going down this path may expose him a bit.

"When healing you can work with the person's own lifeforce. I could never get a strong sense from him. It's almost as if his mind was gone. He is alive, but…."

"Brain damage?" questioned Nukka. "Spirits!" She jumped to Charan's side and grabbed his limp hand, bringing it up to her tear-streaked face. "You idiot! Why did you run in alone?" She was nearly yelling at him. "You better snap out of this…." She began to sob and her yelling quickly turned to a more quiet, desperate pleading. "You better come back to us…."

They all stood for several minutes watching as Nukka broke down, switching between anger, pleas and concern before Lin finally moved to put her hand on the officer's shoulder. "Why don't you head back to the city?" Lin called for an officer that must have been waiting outside. "I want you to take time off, take care of your family. We will inform you if there are any changes and you know that you can come and see him anytime you need to, but you need to take care of yourself and your kids now." The other officer slowly led Nukka out, a shell of the disciplined woman who had entered just an hour or so before.

Kya turned to Lin. "That was his wife, wasn't it?" Lin slowly nodded. "Why didn't you say so?"

"They aren't technically married. They have always referred to one another simply as 'partner'. I fell into the same, I just hadn't really thought about it for a while." Lin breathed a heavy sigh. "I should never have let them work side by side though. They had both insisted. I don't know why I let them convince me…." Lin gathered herself. "I can't imagine what might have happened with their kids if both of them ended up on one of your beds. For her to have to see him as he was." Kya could feel the guilt Lin was carrying and now understood it more clearly. She wrapped up the gray-haired woman in her arms. "This is what can happen if I let myself get involved in other people's…."

"Stop," said Kya. "Mistakes are made, even by the great Beifong. Don't let this harden you further. It would change nothing and even if you could remake the decision, you don't know how things might have played out. We'd probably still be here, but she would not have been there in those moments." Kya tightened her grip until finally she felt Lin relax in her arms.

"Is it alright if I stay here tonight?" whispered Lin.

"Of course."

xxxxxxxxxx

Conversation at the evening meal was quiet, but still lively. Most of the discussion centered around Ziara's adventure into the spirit world. It seemed as if everyone wanted to have their own first-hand account from her about her experience there, acolytes and family included. Lin and Kya remained relatively quiet for the majority of the meal sporadically talking with one another. Avan watched his love slowly change shades back and forth from bashfulness like a quilled chameleon traversing a spinning barber pole. There were several acolyte ears that were tuned in to the story as well. It was not surprising and destined that her journey would go down in acolyte lore. Eventually, Tenzin calmed down the hall seeing Ziara's flustration at all the attention. He offered up his congratulations on her achievement, along with his own tale of he had always had such difficulty himself. No one spoke much about the officer in Avan and Kya's care. They all could surmise his status from the tired faces the two healers wore, though they had tried their best to cover up their concern.

After the meal had been put away and the hall mostly cleared save for most of the family, Korra walked in with Asami. Meelo and Rohan all ran showering them with hugs, excited at the return of their favorite Avatar with Ikki trailing not far behind. Tenzin exchanged a glance with Kya. The young couple, absent for some time, had smiles on their faces that only barely shielded the younger of the group. The rest could tell that something was weighing heavily on them.

"Who did you take care of this time Korra?" asked Meelo.

"Did you use the Avatar state?" added Rohan, while thrusting his fists out, assaulting the air around him. "How many bad guys did you take out?"

Korra shifted her gaze back to Meelo again. "Did you use your super combos!? Air-fire? Water-earth? Earth-fire?" This continued for a little while before Tenzin decided to interrupt and send the kids away, not without plenty of protest.

"Korra, Asami. It's so good to have you back," Tenzin said warmly. "It's been a couple weeks since we heard from you," he continued, addressing Korra primarily, "how did things go in the Fire nation? You look a bit...troubled, if you don't mind me saying."

Asami placed her hand on the Avatar's weary shoulder as Korra took in a deep breath. "That's an understatement if ever there was one." If not already, she immediately captured the table's attention.

"I take it the dispute over the mines didn't go as smoothly as you had hoped?" asked Tenzin.

Korra looked toward him with a bit of a surprised expression. "Oh, no, that went great. It only took my presence and a couple hours with the nation representative to negotiate an agreement to share the resources and opportunities the new employment would bring between the two towns. The chiefs put up a strong facade, but it turned out it was simply some bad blood that needed to be worked out. Something about an old dispute between the town leaders that had caused animosity from many generations ago, but the towns held onto it for some stupid reason."

"Tradition of the worst kind," chimed in Asami.

"Turns out the current leaders were smart enough to want to get past it, but needed a way to appease the elders who held onto the pain and influence. I was there pretty much as an excuse to move past the past without either of them having to lose face."

"You've been gone for a couple weeks though," questioned Tenzin, a bit agitated and noticeably concerned.

"Dear, let them tell the story," responded Pema.

"Asami and I decided to take some time just for ourselves." Korra glanced over to Tenzin whose face betrayed some disapproval before Pema's hand on his shoulder settled him back down. "We had decided to just hike through some of the rural areas of the fire nation, visiting small towns and that sort of thing. We tried to keep a low profile to just enjoy things as a regular couple."

"Tried being the key word here," interjected Asami.

"Look, kids like to follow my escapades and I am recognizable. Who can blame them? I am pretty awesome!" Korra added with a smile and a flex.

"You don't think it was the whole showing off your bending to them? I mean, I can count on one hand the number of people we know of that can bend more than one element." Asami shot a quick friendly glance toward Avan. Before turning her gaze to Korra, deflating her a bit.

"Okay anyway. We were at this small resort and a couple came to us asking me to help them because their daughter had disappeared. I guess they heard rumors that we were there." Both Korra and Asami's expressions turned serious as they continued. "As far as they described it, she had been a perfect kid, worked hard, listened to her parents, went to school; then, she just vanished. We asked around the town, friends, teachers. I tried sensing her spirit. Nothing. Her parents were the last ones we could find that could confirm seeing her when she left for school in the morning a few days prior."

Asami took up the story. "After a couple days of talking to people and scouring the whole area, we had to tell her parents that we ended up completely empty-handed. It was heart-breaking to see them shattered again. We had to leave them disheartened ourselves and it wasn't long after when we had decided that it was time to come back to Republic City. As we were packing to leave, one of the teachers from the girl's school who had heard about us looking into the disappearance found us."

"There were other kids missing. All within just the past month or two," said Korra, factually.

"The rest were all orphans." Asami took on a scowl, betraying her strong distaste with how the school had handled the situation. "As if that makes their lives any less meaningful than their own. I can't believe in this day and age adults are still relegating kids who have to live without their parents to a second class. It's disgusting. They need the most help to put their lives back together…."

Korra wrapped an arm around Asami whose eyes were visibly teared up just thinking about the situation again. "We talked to the administrator and apparently, he didn't even seem to think it important to mention that other kids had gone missing since they had no parents advocating for them."

"How does someone like that even get put in charge of a school of all things!?" she pleaded.

"We will remedy that in time, Sami," said Korra quietly as she rubbed her back. "So the next meeting was, shall we say, a bit less civil."

"I might have overturned his desk," said Asami coyly, "and held him against the wall." The table was quite impressed.

"Oh come on, if I had done that you'd have gone right into a lecture!" chided Korra.

"Yeah, but for you that's sort of normal," said Kya, "and I think any of here would have gone off similarly at the guy." Korra responded with a 'hrrumph'.

Asami continued their story. "So in the end, we still didn't have any better idea of where all these kids had gone, but we knew it was not an isolated incident anymore and more importantly…."

Korra interrupted, "They were all benders. It couldn't have been a coincidence. But we were still stuck. They had all disappeared leaving from either home or school and not a trace of them since and I couldn't pick up anything from any of them in the surrounding area. So in the end, we were sort of back where we started. We decided to comb some of the neighboring towns and found a few more cases."

"Not all children," commented Asami, "but all benders. All just disappeared without a trace. One as far back as five or six months, but it seems more and more recently. The children we found out about were all within just a couple weeks. If they were all connected, which I just can't believe they aren't in some way, whatever was happening was growing and fast. We had been checking with the local police, any orphanages, homes and hospitals and we caught a break, sort of."

"We found the girl," stated Korra, flatly. It did not go unnoticed that there was no sign of elation or closure to either of Korra and Asami's expressions. "We found her but it wasn't her. She wasn't there."

Ziara chimed in. "What do you mean 'it wasn't her'? You said you found her, right?"

"We found her in the hospital...in a catatonic state. She was alive, but completely unresponsive. I don't know why I even did it now. I had been trying to sense them using my connections without luck, so standing right beside her I reached out for her. She was not there. I mean, nothing. Even if I am reaching out for a specific individual, I can see something of every living thing around me. When I stood beside her and reached out; there was nothing there at all. She was nothing but an empty shell, body and blood, but empty of any spirit energy." She turned to Jinora. "We decided that it was time to call in some help. I have a spiritual side, but what might be going on here is beyond me."

"That's what it was; what I felt from our patient," stated Avan, looking somewhat pallid. "Or rather, what I didn't feel." He turned to Korra and Asami. "I think whatever you discovered in the Fire Nation is happening here as well." Avan, with the help of Kya, went on to describe what they knew of the events surrounding the detective under their care and his current state. "I guess you would be the best on to confirm if he has the same loss of spirit that the others you found suffered from, but I would bet on it."

The whole group quickly picked up and moved into the the healing area where Korra put her hand on the breathing but otherwise unresponsive body of Charan. After a few moments with her eyes closed she issued her assessment.

"It's just like the girl in the Fire Nation. I don't sense anything from him."

Tenzin spoke up. "I guess we're lucky that his partner got to him so quickly or we would have never made this connection." The group glared at him momentarily as he visibly realized the callousness of his words. "I didn't mean...I mean...what I meant was…." Pema put a hand on his shoulder, putting a stop to the stuttering while simultaneously face-palming.

"No wait, you bring up a point though," said Asami, calmly.

"He does?" questioned Kya.

"I do?" uttered Tenzin himself. "Uh, what point is that exactly?"

"I didn't think anything of it at the time," she turned to Korra, "the girl in the Fire Nation, the doctors there said she was found by a farmer by chance."

Korra was looking visibly lost at where her smarter half was going. "I'm not following…."

"She had fallen off a cliff. If she had been alone there for just another hour, probably much less, she would have died. We'd have probably never found her and discovered her condition. The officer here, if not for his partner, would have been dead in, what, minutes more? It's only two cases, but somewhat suspicious right?" Asami surveyed the group. "What if whatever is taking their spirits is covering it up a the same time. No evidence and it would mean there is something intelligent working behind the scenes."

Everyone was silent, thinking upon Asami's suggestion when a loud voice from just outside the doorway caused them all to jump in unison. "Quite a story you have there Ms. Sato!"

"Lin, spirits, you scared us half to death," scolded Kya, resulting in nothing but a hearty laugh from the chief.

"I think this theory is worth looking into. At this point, it's a better explanation for what happened to my detective than anything we have to support with hard evidence. If there is something 'super-natural' going on here, I think the people in this room are the right people for the job. I will get some people looking at recent reports of missing persons, especially those who later turned up deceased, maybe under strange conditions."

Korra turned to Jinora. "We should pay Iroh a visit and see if he has heard of anything going on out of the ordinary in the spirit world."

Jinora nodded. "Maybe Ziara can come?"

"What?" questioned Korra.

"Out of the question!" objected Tenzin. "She doesn't have the experience. It's too early for her to be getting involved in something like this. Missing spirits, missing people, attacks."

Kya offered a calm voice to her brother. "Tenzin, no one here ever wanted to get involved in the many things that have crossed our lives in the past years, and certainly, none of us had prior training for any of it. We experience, adapt and grow for it. Anyway, it should be her decision not yours." Tenzin softened his expression realizing this was simply not his night.

Korra continued. "Still, Ziara? How?"

"Oh right, you've been away for a bit," answered Jinora plainly. "You see, it turns out Ziara actually has quite a strong spiritual connection. I think she actually put her foot in the door entirely on her own and then we spent a whole afternoon there together. She made the connection first try with me." Jinora looked proud, of herself or of Ziara no one could really tell, but she looked to her almost as a parent. "I think another set of eyes and a brain couldn't hurt anything."

Ziara, still a bit unsure of being volunteered, tried to hide any of her misgivings and nodded. "You all do so much, I would like to help in any way I can too."

"Alright!" concluded Korra. "Let's see what we can dig up and figure out how to tackle this, whatever this is." Korra grabbed Asami's and Ziara's hands and pulled them out towards the air temple with Jinora close behind. Lin gave a quiet nod to Kya before excusing herself and heading back to the city, visibly driven now.

"Please be careful," said Tenzin with a serious expression. "I don't know what is going on, but if something is truly severing the spirits from people, it is not something to take lightly or jump in against without a plan. I will see if any of the histories have anything written describing anything like this, maybe we will get lucky there as well."

After they all left, Avan spoke with Kya in a somber tone as they checked on their patient. "Do you think it's safe to be going into the spirit world if there really is something stealing away people's essences?"

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Korra is with them after all," she responded, hiding any of her own misgivings.


	19. Investigation

Korra, Ziara and Jinora made their way into the air temple where Korra took it upon herself to snap her fingers, igniting a few of the small sconces scattered about the chamber, casting a soft light throughout the temple for them. She gave the other two women a confident smile. Ziara smiled back, impressed; Jinora rolled her eyes a bit, having seen the display on multiple occasions in the past.

"Ok, ok. We both know you are a firebending juggernaut. Let's get started."

The three women sat together at the front of the air temple. Closing their eyes and slowing their breathing, they tried to allow their consciousness to drift into the spirit world together. As some time passed, Jinora could feel Korra shifting around more and more. She was unsettled to say the least. Finally, she broke from her calm.

"Korra, what's wrong? You're all...fidgety."

"It's nothing. I'm...just. It takes me a bit still to get into the right frame of mind for meditation and everything. We can't all pick it up just like that," stated Korra as she snapped her fingers, glancing ever so subtly towards Ziara, who did not notice herself. It did not go unnoticed by the airbending master however.

Ziara absentmindedly thumbed at her ears, a tick she had long exhibited when feeling a bit stressed. Jinora again caught the Avatar's eyes flicking towards the young Fire nation woman, more openly this time.

"Korra, you are not going to be able to meditate if you're thinking about a hundred other things. Just say what is on your mind!" scolded Jinora.

Now playing with her earrings, Ziara was growing increasingly uncomfortable, not understanding what the issue was. "I'm sorry. Should I go to let you guys talk? I'm new at this anyway, I don't want to mess things…."

"No!" commanded Jinora. "This is something that's eating Korra." She turned to glare at the Avatar, who let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry guys."

"It's about time," added Jinora.

Korra turned to Ziara and grabbed her hands. "Ever since we left the South Pole, something has been bothering me." Ziara's cheeks turned bright red.

"Oh! I…. I'm sorry. What did I do? What can…."

Korra put a finger to her lips to continue. "No. I am sorry. It's my fault and it is something so stupid. I tried to forget about it while Asami and I were in the Fire Nation, but I obviously couldn't let it go. Now, sitting right next to you; well, it's thrown back into my face."

Ziara and Jinora both looked positively confused about where Korra was going with this. She put her hand up to the side of Ziara's face and held her cheek in her hand. Ziara was a bit startled at the unexpected touch and jerked back, just slightly. She was surprised at how warm Korra's hand felt in that moment. Korra then reached up to rub Ziara's earlobe and the intricately carved, bone earrings hanging from it. Ziara stared at Korra for those moments and was puzzled and surprised to see a look of...nostalgia? Yes, but something more...loss...and love on the Avatar's expression. After what felt like a few minutes, Korra cleared her throat and shifted back a bit.

"It's my fault, my problem. I know my mom gave you these."

Ziara nodded. "She surprised me with them. She-she said they were a gift from Master Katara actually. I was taken aback myself. I had barely spent any time with her during the trip. I certainly didn't expect anything from her. If they're a family heirloom or something, you're welcome to…."

Korra again cut her off. "No, no. They were a gift to you for some reason or another. I just-I don't know why they affected me so much. There was just something about those in particular that I have had trouble letting go of. I should have gotten this off my chest the first day instead of letting it fester like this. Maybe part of me wondered why they never gave me stuff like that. Did mom kind of miss having a real girly, was I too much of a tomboy?"

Jinora finally decided to chime in. "Korra, you're an idiot." Korra's expression shifted to one of shock at the little airbender's comment. "You should know as well as anyone that your parents, Master Katara, even my family loves you exactly as you are. How can you even second guess that?" Korra changed to take on a bit of an ashamed look for the thought. "Besides. You wonder why your mom never gave you earrings or whatever?! You never wear jewelry, stupid! You always talk about how you hate dressing up. You don't even have your ears pierced!"

For a few moments, silence; then, Korra burst out in laughter, followed by the others. She scooped them up in a giant bear hug before they all settled down and retook their places on the floor.

"Now that we got that taken care of, can we get on to the meditation?" Korra placed a hand on Ziara's knee, sharing a glance, before they both nodded to Jinora.

"Let's do this!" announced Korra.

xxxxxxxxxx

The three settled quickly for the second round. Jinora, not surprisingly, was able to leave her mortal shell behind before the others. She found herself adrift in the middle space between the physical and spirit worlds, holding tightly to the tethers of both Ziara and Korra, waiting for each to release their own bonds to the world. She soon found Ziara at her side. She felt a smile of pride flow over herself at how quickly Ziara was taking to the crossing. Korra finally joined them in this non-space. None could tell with any certainty how much real time had passed before, together, they concluded their traverse to the spirit world as luscious expanses of colorful landscape broke over their vision. They all inhaled deeply, taking in their surroundings.

"Off to find Iroh then?" asked Korra.

"He is probably the easiest one to talk to who might be tied into the goings-on around the spirit world. Maybe he will have seen or heard something through the other spirits that roam here."

As Korra took a step forward, Jinora grabbed onto her shirt-tail. "Why don't we let Ziara try leading us?"

"Are you sure? I thought you said she has only been here once?"

"Yeah, Jinora, don't you think it would be better if one of you lead the way?" added Ziara.

"Let's just say I have a feeling about it. Even if we end up in the wrong place, we can always take over right?" stated Jinora, confidently.

Ziara stood for a moment in thought. "What direction?" she questioned to herself, growing increasingly uncomfortable. "They are waiting on me."

Jinora took one of her hands, seeing the colors around them slightly fading. "Don't over-think it. Remember the spirit world reacts to the strength of your will more than anything else." Korra took the other and gave her a reassuring nod. With that, Ziara closed her eyes and took a few steps, thinking of the older gentleman she had met not a day before. The landscape whizzed by around them, a blur of indescribable features and colors. Then, just as suddenly, everything stopped and they found themselves...in a dry, barren, rocky valley.

"This-this is not Iroh's tea shop," commented Korra. "I don't recognize this place at all. Jinora?"

Jinora shook her head. "It's not familiar to me. It feels ominous somehow." As she spoke the words, both she and Korra could feel a slight chill shoot down their spines. "I don't think it's danger, but I feel like, maybe we shouldn't be here." She turned to the Ziara, "Why don't you give it another go? Try visualizing where you want us to be."

"I thought I did," Ziara said to herself. She closed her eyes again and tried again thinking about Iroh and his tea house. The smells and tastes of their visit replayed through her senses. The surroundings again warped and twisted about, longer this time it seemed, but when all was done, they again found themselves in the same spot, barely a few meters from where they were before.

Korra shrugged silently to Jinora, a bit of a smile on her lips. They could see Ziara was a bit irritated with herself, disappointed almost. "I-I'm sorry. Let me try one more time. I'll try harder this time." She lightly took their hands again and clenched her eyes shut, concentrating, trying to visualize everything she could remember about the small tea house and the surrounding fields. Alas, they again found themselves in the same, barren, rocky landscape as before.

Ziara paced about nervously,. "I'm sorry you guys. I don't think I have the hang of this yet. Maybe one of you should lead the way," she said, a bit pink in the cheeks, embarrassed. "This is just my second time doing...doing whatever the heck this is. What have I done?" She quickly stopped talking and squatted down trying to slow her breathing. Jinora jogged to her side and leaned down with a calming hand on her shoulder. In previous times with Ziara, she had always been so composed. Both Korra and Jinora shared a smile to one another. They began to see that there was another side to the young woman who held a fear of being the one on the spot, being forced (somewhat in this case) to act without practice and preparation.

"It's okay Ziara. We can get us back on track. Remember, in the spirit world, you are never truly lost if you keep your mind about you. Always remember that you have a connection back to the physical world if you can't find your direction."

"Ahem!"

A sudden noise from behind startled all of them. Korra and Jinora lept up and spun around to face the source, leaving Ziara curled up on the dirt. There they saw the warm, familiar smile of a rotund, mostly bald, elder gentleman, Iroh.

"While it is always a treat to see such lovely ladies, this is a rather strange place for you to be wandering about. Not the safest place to take a stroll in the spirit world surely." Iroh puts his thumb to his chin in thought. "Not so bad I suppose. It is one of the few locations for white-dragon flowers that make such an excellent tea however! There are the Delphine Cliffs, I suppose, but I always suspected that the way the daylight strikes the cliffside lended itself to the slightly increased bitterness in the blossoms harvested from that area." The three women's jaws were a bit slack as Iroh continued comparing and contrasting, exhaustively, the topography and meteorology of the two areas and his conjectured effect on the tea-producing qualities of the flowers.

"...so I have come to always rely on the bushes of this area when I am looking for the particular flavor and scent that only the white-dragon can provide. But enough about tea." Iroh left a small window for the three to take over before once again starting up. "Oh! Speaking of tea, would any of you care for a cup. I happen to have…."

Korra and Jinora began waving their hands slowly. "No, no. No need to go to the trouble."

"Trouble, tea is never any trouble," he uttered, already settling into a rock purchase and pulling out a medium sized box from his backpack.

Not without some surprise, Ziara took a seat next to the elder gentleman. "I would love a cup actually." As she spoke, she eyed the other two in her party with a 'come on now, take a seat' kind of look. They shortly acquiesced to the urging and joined them.

"Maybe a small cup," mentioned Korra, "we are in a bit of a hurry."

"Hurry, you can never hurry tea. Tea is on it's own time and so to should you be." Korra finally gave the other two girls a look of submission. A few minutes passed by in silence as Iroh took out a small kettle. He added water from a bladder carried at his side and proceeded to apply flame to the base until the water came to a rolling boil. Waiting a few moments for the water to calm itself slightly, he produced another wooden box from his backpack, filled, from the looks of it, with various berries, dried leaves, roots, dried flowers, and twigs.

"A calming brew, yes, that's what it looks like you need," he muttered to himself, adding small measures from the small compartments. The dull, dried ingredients sprung to life and vibrant color as the hot water revived them.

Ziara sniffed the air. "Mmmm. What a wonderful aroma!"

"Thank you my dear," he said glancing her over. "This is a special blend of mine. It comes out a little different each time though, hopefully we will be lucky this time." He opened the lid and stared down into the now swirling concoction. "There." He quickly took out a small golden strainer and poured four equal cups of the reddish-brown liquid, filtering out any remnants, exactly finishing off the pot.

They all took a sip, nearly in unison, humoring Korra, who quickly downed the cup, finishing with an 'Ahhh' and a bit of a forced smile. Iroh did not pay her much mind really. "You always have been one for action, Avatar Korra," stated Iroh. She replied with a silly grin before bowing in thanks and returning the cup.

Jinora, too, had a curious look on her face. "It is definitely an…interesting flavor." It was quite obvious this was not her cup of tea.

"This is really delicious!" declared Ziara with a wide smile on her lips. Korra and Jinora exchanged looks of disbelief. They all watched as she cradled the cup in her hands near her nose, deeply taking in the smell, savouring each small sip. Only Jinora noticed Iroh's right eyebrow quickly rise, ever so slightly, at the declaration; so subtle, even she wasn't sure if she really saw it.

"Such a discerning palate," said Iroh, turning to Korra. "This used to be a favorite of Avatar Aang when he would occasionally visit here you know." Korra gave an interested smile at the comment.

It wasn't long before they had all finished off their refreshments. "Thank you for joining me. It is wonderful to enjoy tea in the company of friends, and lovely ladies all the better!" said Iroh with a hearty laugh. "Now then, I'm sure the three of you did not venture into the spirit world and into the Infinite Valley just to have a cup of tea with me. I am quite curious how you found yourselves here. I, myself, took many years of wandering before I could navigate my way through these valleys. They are designed to trap those who would accidently enter their territory. Many spirits have fallen prey to the entities that call this place home. I am surprised you were able to even find me here."

"Ziara actually brought us right to you," said Jinora. "I actually was hoping she could get us to your shop, but somehow we ended up here instead."

"I tried to picture your tea house, but my mind kept slipping to when we had met and I thought of you, the tea, the feeling of comfort from that first meeting. We ended up here I guess."

"Quite astute really. Your feelings and emotions can manipulate this world around you, whether for good or bad. They can also form strong connections to people and places. It usually takes much practice before a person learns to manipulate the world in the way you just did. A mere memory of a feeling brought you right to me." They paused a moment, thinking on what Iroh had just said before he continued. "So, why you were here then."

"Oh yes," uttered Korra. "We've come across some strange cases in the physical world and thought you might know something."

"A rather strange investigation. I haven't touched the physical world for many decades now. I doubt I would know anything going on there."

"Well, the thing is. There was a string of missing persons, children. Asami and I stumbled upon it in the Fire Nation. To make a long story short, we, just by chance, found a girl whose parents brought it to our attention, but when we found her...she-she had no spirit. She was alive, but unconscious. I realized that her spirit was dark, no not dark, simply gone. She was an empty shell."

Jinora took over. "We have an officer in the care of Avan, Ziara's boyfriend." She looked at the Fire nation girl whose cheeks lit up at the comment. "He has…. Well he also has some special abilities. He thought something was strange about him as well, but it wasn't until Korra returned that we discovered he seemed to have befallen the same fate. On top of that, we are beginning to think the accident that brought him into our care may not have been an accident."

Korra took over again. "We were wondering is you might have noticed or heard anything out of the ordinary, you know, for the spirit world that is. Part of me feels like we are dealing with something beyond the physical world here. Call it an Avatar hunch I guess."

Iroh's face almost seemed to grow darker as he turned his gaze to the ground and absently traced out random lines into the dust. "Unfortunately I don't have anything definite to relay to you. Most of the spirits here tend to keep any such matters to themselves." They exhaled a bit, high hopes deflated a bit from when they started on the journey. "However, the missing persons you mentioned."

"Yes?" questioned Korra.

"Spirits tend to come and go as they please in this world. There have been many friends who I have grown accustomed to not hearing from for long periods at a time. There was a pair of wolf spirits that had a habit of visiting almost daily, but it has been some months now since I last saw them. Normally, this would not be a concern; however, they never said 'goodbye'."

"Good-bye?" questioned Korra. "That doesn't seem like much to go on."

"Perhaps. Wolf spirits are not your run of the mill entities here. They have a prideful mind and I think if I were to depart for a time without saying 'goodbye' to such friends, it would be considered...rude." He gave them all a stern look. "I'm sorry, that is all I can offer now. If I come across anything else, I will be sure to let you know." With that, Iroh packed up his tea kit. He froze for a moment as he was about to place the tea box back into his backpack.

"Well, I haven't seen this for some time. I was wondering where it had gotten to." He slowly lifted out beautiful hairpin of what appeared to be crystal and gold shaped into pink and purple wings. "I don't have any need for this," he said, extending his hand to Ziara.

She stared at the small offering for what felt like an awkward length of time. It almost felt as though her eyes were being drawn in by the design on the small wings. "Oh no. It's so exquisite. I couldn't," she responded, shaking her head.

"Please, I insist. What need to I have for such a thing?" retorted Iroh, rubbing his mostly bald head.

Ziara glanced to Jinora and Korra who simply shrugged. "Thank you so much…." He wiggled his eyebrows at the young woman. "..._Uncle?_ Iroh," she responded, smiling a bit uncertain.

Iroh gave out a deep belly laugh. "Take care all of you!" he announced as he headed out, walking past. As he passed by Ziara, words fell upon her ears, a whisper in the breeze. "It was a gift from the wolf spirits when I last saw them." He waved to the group as he slowly disappeared around the rocky, winding path of the valley.

As Ziara turned the hairpin over in her hands she looked over to the other girls. "Is he always so...strange?"

"Oh you don't know the half of it," answered Korra. "He has a habit of talking around subjects. Answering questions with questions and the like. I think he and Tenzin would get along perfectly! It's a really nice accessory though. Asami would love something like that...I'll have to remember that for her next birthday."

"Korra, I really don't need something like this. If you'd like to give it to her, I'd be more than happy to let you have it." She held the pin out toward Korra, who hesitated a bit before taking it and also looking over it closely.

"It's weird how it almost glows on its own."

Jinora, who had been silent for some time now finally spoke up. "Guys, we are missing something. Iroh is also in a unique position here in the spirit world. The rules are different here. He can't always just tell people what they want to hear. This world is filled with spirits much greater than he which play complex games with those who dwell here." Jinora stared at the pin for a while before a realization smacked into her. "The pin!"

"What about it?!" questioned Korra, looking puzzled.

"Why else would he give that to Ziara?"

"I assumed it was because he thought she was attractive and he's just a funny old man."

"No!" she exclaimed, correcting Korra. "We are just projected into the spirit world. He knows that. We couldn't bring anything physical back with us. This wasn't a gift, it was a clue. Something maybe he can't tell us directly. And to Ziara specifically."

Jinora and Korra stared at Ziara who backed up bit feeling a bit pressured. "Umm, what are you thinking?"

Jinora snatched the pin from Korra and clasped it together in Ziara's hands. "Ziara, you can take us to the spirit who gave this to Iroh." The young woman held her hands and brought her face close. "Try to see the truth behind it. It isn't just a pin, it represents something tied to who we are trying to find. Everything here has layers upon layers behind it."

Korra stood watching the two of them, surprised by how close they seemed to have become, bonded by their relationship with the spirit world. She would never say anything, but part of her was saddened, perhaps a bit jealous, at how easily it had come for Ziara. She had a tie to this world that Korra somehow knew she would never really be able to attain, despite being closer to a spirit than perhaps anyone else could ever be.

It was only a few moments later when the pin seemed to dissolve, leaving an apparition of a beautiful moth behind. They all stared at this tiny speck of colorful light before it took off with astounding speed. A split second later, the world once again warped around them, leaving only the small speck of a moth in focus ahead of them. Within just another blink of the eye, the world stopped. They found themselves in front of a massive cave, backs to a forested area filled with massive trees and leaves of pink and purple, much like the wings of the moth which they had just followed. Just the tiniest point of light, presumably from the moth, could be seen inside the cave that quickly blinked out of existence. The sky here was a perfect shade of blue and the air was warm and pleasant, carried by a slight breeze. As they stepped toward the mouth of the cave, the atmosphere was in stark contrast to the surroundings.

It was dark, cold; they almost felt as though joy itself was being pulled from them as they took a few steps inside. The light that entered from outside quickly dissolved into pitch black. They stood at the edge of the darkness and exchanged worried looks with one another. Jinora was the first one to put what they were all thinking to words.

"So, umm, are we going in?" Her questions was met with several moments of silence.

"I don't think we are equipped to investigate this," answered Korra after a time. "We don't have our bending and we'd be going in blind. Unless you have some kind of special spirit vision, I can't even see where the walls go." Jinora chuckled lightly. "What?!"

"I'm sorry," she answered, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder. "It's just, you aren't always known for your caution is all."

If there had been just a bit more light, they would have seen Korra both blush slightly and give them a disapproving smirk, but instead it was simply lost to the darkness. During this short exchange, they were all oblivious to a silently approaching entity.

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"I can't believe this! Incompetence!" Lin's voice boomed from her office.

Even with doors closed, the detectives at their desks in police headquarters jumped at the yells coming from Lin's office. It had been like this all afternoon, but each time still startled the lot of them. They exchanged looks at one another, but not of surprise, of guilt. Lin had spent the entirety of the day gathering reports from the station heads throughout the city, some via radio and others, unluckily, in person. There were currently three sorry souls trapped in her office.

"For six months! SIX! How can you all have missed this?!" Lin was on the verge of a scream as the three station chiefs stood, ramrod still, taking the brunt of Lin's tirade. She took in a deep breath and slumped into her chair, facing away from the group. Anger had a grip on her, but what she was shielding was a tear that was stealthily wiped away from under her left eye and a feeling of utter disappointment in both her department and herself.

She started again, now in a much calmer tone. "I'm sorry. I should not have gone off like that." The three didn't move, but eyes darted about as they tried to gauge one another. "I am...disappointed." If she hadn't been facing away from the group, she would have seen that this one word alone deflated all of them far more than any of the scolding they had withstood thus far.

"Over thirty cases...probably more if we were to dig more closely; I would bet on it." She swiveled around facing them once again, placing her elbow on her desk and massaging her forehead. Her audience continued their silent stances. "You all need to be coordinating your investigations. If any of you had just had a clerk poll the other precincts, we may have discovered this pattern long before now."

Lin thought to herself, "It took Asami and Korra, less than two weeks, while on vacation, in a different nation to put their breadcrumbs together…. Mom, have I failed this miserably as chief."

"We will obviously have to institute some training to everyone to make them understand that we are not all operating independently. I cannot be the driver to bring together the detective work across the city. It has to fall on you and your teams. We are all responsible for the lives and safety of all of Republic City's residents, not just those in each of our precincts." She paused a moment, collected herself and stood up once more. "What's done is done, we need to move forward and reopen these cases. I want to know any unusual circumstances around these cases. Re-interview people where possible; re-examine the evidence if there is any. I want to know any and all commonalities between these cases. A jump in missing persons and deaths like this should have been a red flag as to something going on. I want you to prioritize missing person cases for the time being as well. There is something going on under our noses and we need to find out what it is. Dismissed!"

"Yes chief!" they all uttered in unison.

As they turned to toward the door, Lin made one last comment. "I shudder to think that the reason so many of these cases were treated in this way was due to the people being mostly poor or without family to lean on us to investigate. The incompetence can be structured away, but negligence will not be without consequence." They all felt a chill go down their spine at the words, knowing that while they may not have been directly responsible, they had all failed in one way or another at pushing their own personnel properly.

Alone again, Lin filtered through the pile of cases that had grown through the day on her desk. She thought on the collection. "It's not unusual for homeless or poor going missing, trying to start new lives, getting into trouble with the wrong sort, but this escalation…. There is definately something else on top of the usual case load we would expect in Republic City. How could they have missed a connection between nine missing person cases all turning up deceased in the last month? There will have to be changes made, but first…." She spread the cases out on her desk and examined them each, noting key aspects of the person involved and the dates of the cases. "Hmmm. The number of non-bender cases over the past year has been relatively unchanged. Targeting vulnerable benders…. In just the past month, however…."

Lin's thoughts were broken by a knock at her door.

"I asked not to be interrupted!" she hollered at the offending door. Another series of knocks. "Hmph," the older metal-bender sighed. "What's happening to the discipline around here?," she thought to herself. Waving her hands, the solid metal door whisked open, completely silently. She was greeted by the sight of a familiar old waterbender holding a tray of tea.

"Kya? What are you doing here?"

"Everyone seemed to be on edge after talking about these cases and I got a call from someone that said you had been on a bit of a rampage this morning, so I thought this might help calm things down a bit."

Lin glanced around the other woman and locked eyes with Mako out in the main office area. "Hmmm, well, I'll have to talk with that someone later." She flicked her hand and the door to her office flew closed. "Kya, this may not be the best time. I'm finding out just how inept some of my station chiefs really can be…," she continued, almost too quiet to hear, "...and just how much I have lost my edge."

"Sounds like the perfect time to me." Kya sat the tray down and moved around on Lin's side of the desk, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You can't take everything on your back anymore. You are an exemplar example to the department, you know it. There are going to be slip ups. There are going to be corrupt people and those simply not doing their job, and you can't just pound yourself into the dirt over it. You'll whip these guys into shape, like you always do and the department will be all the stronger for it in the end."

Lin tilted her head back and met Kya's eyes. "That's the worst pep speech I have ever heard you know."

"Did it work though?"

Lin sighed, nodded and recollected herself. "So, if a few more of the stations had been reporting in and coordinating their cases like they should have been, we would likely have noticed the pattern of disappearance weeks, maybe months ago. It looks like whatever it is going on is targeting benders specifically. The overall rate of missing non-benders has stayed fairly flat. If I read into this further, they are getting more bold as well."

"Bold?" questioned Kya.

"Months ago, the missing were mainly homeless, poor, people who, sadly, would not have really been missed. They all had only minimal bending prowess you could say. This could have been going on for some time since I would bet there are as many unreported cases as what we have here." She thumped the pile of folders on her desk. "In just the past couple months, there has been a definite shift to more prominent people...and stronger benders. I hate to say it, but we probably know more about them simply because they have family, friends, co-workers that care and report it."

"How didn't those cases trigger more investigation?"

"They did, but almost across the board, the investigations concluded accidental death or suicide."

"That can't be."

"I agree, but if whatever is behind this is not only growing in power, but is getting much better at covering its tracks. They are spread out all through the city, no more than a few cases in any one jurisdiction. I think we may have just been lucky with my officer, if not for his partner being so close, who knows how he would have ended up himself."

"So do we have any idea how we are going to catch this...whoever this is?"

Lin leaned back into Kya's chest and frowned. "No idea, I don't see any hard evidence or leads in any of these reports, despite their similar MO. No witnesses. The perpetrator seems to be able to get into just about anywhere they desire." The chief exhaled and closed her eyes. "This one has me worried Kya."

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Korra jumped back as a face suddenly emerged directly in front of her from the darkness. The sudden movement caused all the girls to jump back in surprise. Slowly the face took on clearer form, that of a huge wolf with twin tails. Believing they had found their target, they relaxed, albeit just slightly.

A low, somewhat-growling voice filled the cave, echoing throughout. "Why are you here?" The wolf slowly crept forward as the group of three retreated towards the entrance. With the better light flowing in from outside, they could better make out the form of the beast they had encountered. Spirits are notoriously difficult to judge, some of the most gentle are as ancient as time itself while others that seemed looming and powerful may be mere infants. There was an aura of power that seemed to surround the wolf form that padded its way after them, but it was heavily tainted with sorrow that was almost palpable. This was only amplified by the spirit's sad semblance. What, at one time, was surely a brilliant white coat was matted, grey and brown with dirt and mud. It's eyes were a dull yellow and there was no joy to its expression or body, invoking near pity in the three of them.

Jinora bowed deeply and introduced herself and the others before explaining the missing people and events that eventually led them to the cave. Ziara stood, noticeably tense listening and watching which Korra paced about in the light from the mouth of the cave. Upon finishing, they all felt the glare of the wolf, almost as if it sliced through to their souls. They were being sized up, but all held their ground, for better or worse. After a short while, the spirit's gaze softened.

The wolf rested its hind quarters and spoke. "I am Ulal. My partner was taken from me some time ago. There is a another that wanders in this world without regard for others. Its kind had long been relegated to the realm around the Valley of Lost Souls, usually barely sentient. It seems one has become more...aware and is seeking power. I fear you would have little success than I fighting it off." The wolf's expression turned visibly more shaken. "My partner was...consumed by it, protecting me as I barely escaped. You should all leave this place and return to your own world." The wolf simply turned back towards the darkness of the cave and began slowly plodding forward.

"Wait!" yelled Korra. "With all due respect spirit, don't you recognize me? I'm the Avatar. Can you tell us what this entity looks like, or where to find it?" She spoke with a slight tinge of desperation in her voice. The wolf stopped momentarily.

"Of course I know who you are Avatar Korra, do not take me for a fool," the spirit scolded. "Perhaps it is you who does not comprehend the danger you yourself are in. This creature feeds upon spirits themselves. It possesses an endless hunger. Perhaps it knows nothing but. You of all would be the greatest prize to it. Avatar Korra, you of all people have the most to fear in it. As for the nature of the entity itself, it is an anti-spirit. It possesses no true form, and I expect it will seek you in time if it is not already. Your mere presence in this place is probably enough to set it's thought upon you. It is, by it's nature, I formidable predator." The wolf spirit's face took on a softer tone as it continued. "I wish you the best, but, I'm sorry, my hope is broken from my last encounter and I do not wish to repeat it." For a moment the spirit checked its glare upon each of them. They each held their breath, feeling as though their souls were being pierced by it. "I certainly don't know everything about your nature, but perhaps she will be able to save everything," said the spirit, quietly, as it moved off and then disappeared into the darkness, leaving the three of them.

Ziara and Jinora moved up to Korra who was still frozen in place. They each placed a hand on the Avatar's shoulder. "What does she mean I have the most to fear?" asked Korra blankly. "It seemed to think that there is still a chance."

"Korra, come on. We should get back to the physical world. I think we need to speak with Tenzin and the others about all this," urged Jinora. They all turned to the entrance and headed out.

_Elsewhere…, a dark, formless mass suddenly stopped its movement as what could only be described as a neck like appendage funneled together and reached up into the sky. It was surrounded by a handful of other similar entities, but of much smaller stature. "Ahhhhhhh...yes. There it is." A low, gravelly voice rumbled out of its form, no mouth to speak of. Its form seemed to inflate before it collapsed upon itself in a churn of activity. The form of an old man stood there amidst the dark, drifting entities. He has long white hair bound with a gold ring and a moustache to match. He is dressed in fine, loose-fitting orange robes, a golden vest overlaid. His face sags somewhat from age. There is a smile that creeps upon his lips, most wicked, and as he opens his eyes, they are black throughout. Turns up his nose and sniffs the air. Licking his crinkled lips, he whispers under his breath, "She is here...the Avatar."_


	20. Bad Dreams

_I'm still alive! Work/life has just been a jumble and I have had very little time to devote to putting pen on paper (so to speak.) Hopefully I can get these next few chapters out without as much of a delay as this one. I started this whole thing for fun and i still intend to see it through. Thanks to those of you still following!_

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It was already night and the three were visibly somber upon returning to the temple. Taking a moment to regain their bearings, they were a bit surprised by the presence of several people, who had likely been watching over them for some time.

"Good, you're back." Tenzin's voice, though gentle, seemed to boom throughout the temple, startling them all a bit as they were still collecting themselves. "Were you able to find out any information about these incidents?" He seemed as eager as anyone for answers.

Jinora immediately spoke up, seemingly channeling Ikki briefly, as she sped through their time in the spirit world. "...so Ziara first led us to Iroh, who was cryptic as always, but then she found this wolf spirit…." Some time passed. "He, she, it?, it's kind of hard to tell with spirits, said it had lost hope after losing its partner and that Korra would be in the most danger, but then said she may be able to fix everything after all! That's great right? Well not the danger part, but the fixing part." Jinora stopped and was breathing a bit heavier than normal as Tenzin, Avan and Kya stood a bit dumbfounded, processing her stream of dialog.

"Korra?" questioned Tenzin.

"I think she has the jist of it down. The wolf spirit, she referred to herself as 'Ulal'. At least that what it told us. She seemed very...depressed and said that her partner had been on of those devoured by this thing," she paused here for a moment, looking a bit tense. "Tenzin, if this thing's sole existence is to devour spirits, how am I supposed to do anything against it? So what if I'm the Avatar, to this thing, Raava, me, we must be the 'creme dela creme'! What's to keep it from just devouring me?!" Korra's breathing had noticeably quickened.

"Korra." Kya stepped forward and grabbed the Avatar's shoulders. "Korra! Listen to me, you will find a way, WE will find a way. Don't worry." They locked eyes for a moment and Korra gave a half-hearted nod.

After trying to wring all the detail they could from their experience, Tenzin decided it best if everyone get some rest as the evening quickly was rolling in. They took in a relatively quiet meal before calling it a night. Most sauntering off toward their own rooms, Avan and Ziara lingered back to catch a few moments.

Avan gently took Ziara's hand in his own. "It's a bit disconcerting to see your body when you're in the spirit world like that. You seemed so...so empty on this side. What's it like to do...go there like that?"

Ziara smiled up at Avan. "Were you worried about little ol' me?"

Avan stammered a bit. "No, no, I mean I was just…. Yeah, I guess I just didn't know what was…."

Ziara put a finger to Avan's lips, shushing him. "It's sweet, I'm just messing with you." With that she gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Honestly, it felt almost totally natural. I mean, Jinora described about how you are literally leaving your body behind, so I wasn't even sure what to expect, but when I am there, I _feel_ like I AM there. It looks completely different of course, so that took a bit of getting used to, but I really feel as much a part of that world as this one." Avan could see Ziara's smile widen with excitement as she continued to describe her time in the spirit world. He shared in the joy that lit up her face.

"I guess it really is something that you have to experience to understand. Maybe you could show me sometime?"

She nodded quickly. "I think that would be great!"

"It's probably best that we try to figure out how to deal with the spirit eater problem first though." The mention of the current situation quickly drained away most of the highs of the moment. Ziara simply nodded in agreement. "We should get some rest. I have a feeling that things are going to start to move much more quickly now." Avan reached out and wrapped his arms around Ziara who leaned in, pressing herself into his chest. They paused like this for a time, forgetting about the events around them, before finally breaking off. "Good night," he said softly before he turned back toward the entrance.

"Good night Avan…," Ziara responded. She watched as he slowly ploded toward the door. Something tugged at her heart in that moment. "Avan?!" she called out in just a regular tone of voice. Avan instantly froze his step and turned back toward her. She looked a bit troubled, self-conscious maybe. He simply smiled her way. "Would-would you, maybe, want to s-stay in my room tonight?" She cleared her throat and, gathering herself, continued more firmly. "I mean, I just think I would rather not be alone tonight, if that's okay."

Avan walked up to her side and took hold of her hand again. "Sure. Let's get some sleep." With that they headed up to the dormitory.

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_Still tired, Korra found herself back in the spirit world, but it was a different place, much darker and more desolate. In the back of her mind, she asked herself, "Why am I back here?" She took slow steps forward, trying to gain bearing on where she was. The ground was thick and it took much of her effort keeping such a sluggish pace. _

"_Despair…." A word rung out from the sky, echoing in all directions, in a deep ominous voice. It almost felt like a lance through her chest. A series of lightning flashes lit up the sky, showing dark purplish tones and pitch black clouds followed by loud crashes of thunder. She jumps a bit and she can feel the hair on the back of her neck tingling. _

_Several small dark entities sprung from the ground around her and Korra reacts launching fire in a circle around her. The entities fall into ash, only to be replaced by further waves of the same. She continued battling for some time before everything fell silent and the entities ceased their spawning. _

_Korra suddenly felt a pair of strong hands grip her shoulders from behind. When she tried to wheel around, she found herself unable to turn her body, even in the slightest. A whisper came to her ear in a low gravelly voice, "Failure."_

_She felt herself go completely cold, unable to move or react. There was a pain that penetrated her entire body, unlike anything she had ever felt before and as she tried to grasp what was happening, she could see herself, no, just her body, slowly slumping to the ground from a rising vantage point. "Delicious…," she heard the voice speak. The pain grew more and more intense as the world around her began to collapse. She then heard a scream; it was a familiar voice. The terror in the voice shook what little of her mind was still coherent. She could see a tiny point of light being drawn from her now etherial body. She grasped out, but caught nothing but emptiness. After just a few moments, the small light was snuffed from existence. In that drawn out moment, she realized what it was and screamed, "Raava, no...no...NO!"_

"Korra! KORRA!"

Her mind slowly processed the dim light in the room as she could feel a sharp sting, no longer throughout her body, but on her cheek. "H-huh, what…," she babbled. She tried to recompose herself and focus on a blurry figure looming over her. Soon a gentle, cool hand caressed the hot, sting on her face.

"Korra. I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do. You were screaming, shrieking in your sleep. What happened?"

Korra finally collected herself sufficiently to recognize Asami kneeling over her in her pajamas. In a tone of great relief, "Asami...I-I'm so glad to see you." She exhaled deeply and grabbed Asami, holding her tightly.

Asami pulled Korra's face in front of hers, looking eye to eye. "Are you okay?" Korra simply nodded slowly in response. Asami relaxed down onto Korra's legs and released her face. "Can you tell me what you saw? I mean, I've seen you experience bad dreams before."

Korra interrupted with a coy smile, "Yeah, I guess it comes with the Avatar job."

Asami gave a disapproving look. "This was not one of those. The way you screamed, your body language, your look when I finally shook you out of it. Don't tell me this was just another dream."

They stared at one another for a few moments more before Korra exhaled and began to recount what she could remember of her dream. She chose to not leave out any of the details since she had learned some time ago that Asami had the uncanny ability to read people and know when they are lying or holding back and that those beautiful emerald eyes could read her better than anyone else.

"You know this can't be coincidence that this happened the night after you guys went into the spirit world investigating."

"Yeah, I can't argue with that," Korra replied, a bit dejected. "Asami...I-I'm scared..."

Asami wrapped her arms around the downturned head of the Avatar in front of her. She lightly held her chin between her thumb and index finger and lifted her mouth to her own, granting them a slow embrace with her own ruby lips. "We are in this together. Don't forget that. I will do whatever it takes to protect you, but you have to promise me, you promised me, that you won't leave me behind, not again."

Korra was stunned for a moment. She knew what was meant by those words; 'not again' echoed in her mind. After their initial reunion, Asami had hardly ever brought up those years where she had been pushed away. It was the past, but it still stung, and she knew without any discussion that it was a place Asami would just not accept being put through again. "Sami, I-I know," her voice deflated somewhat.

"You're worried about losing Raava again," Asami said matter-of-factly. Korra locked eyes with her, almost surprised. Asami's face turned much softer. "You think I don't know you after all the time we have been together? You've had that connection taken from you…."

"Ripped is more like it," interjected Korra.

She wrapped the Avatar in her arms. "I can't act like I have any idea what that feels like, but my own heart can't take watching you from the sidelines through another ordeal, okay?" Korra simply nodded back.

"Korra, -we- will figure this out just like everything else." She kissed the Avatar's lips again. "Besides," Asami leaned back slightly and pressed her finger lightly into Korra's chest and looked at her with a sultry glance, "-this- spirit is already claimed." She wrapped up the Avatar and lightly ran her fingers down along Korra's spine, causing her to shudder slightly, caught between a chill and a tickle, before she pushed Korra back onto the bed and left a trail of kisses down her neck and shoulders.

"Sami..." Korra whispered, nearly breathless, eyes closed as Asami ran her fingers through her hair roughly. "How does she have this power over me?" Korra said to herself. The thought brought a wide smile to her lips, not unnoticed, and she memories of the nightmare were already nearly wiped clean.

"Hmmm-what's so funny?" Asami asked with a sensual whisper in Korra's ear, stopping her loving assault for a moment.

Korra caught her breath enough to answer. "N-nothing, I just-sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am."

Asami looked over the Avatar before bringing her lips to the outer edges of her ears, speaking with soft breath, "Lucky are we?" She felt Korra nod slightly, almost nervously. "I guess we'll see about that." As Asami pulled back, the mere expression on her face, pure love, brought the blood to Korra's face and skin. The rest of the night was a blur before they were eventually roused by the morning light, shining through the window.

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Despite a relaxing, but less than fully restful night, Korra and Asami emerged from their room in the morning looking absolutely put together. The hallway was quiet as they both stretched a bit, leaving the warmer confines of their room. Korra reached out and took Asami's hand as they slowly made their way, exchanging smiles. They both walked with an air of confidence about them. Barely halfway down the hall, they both stopped as the door next to them slid open slowly and Ziara poked her head out quickly, scanning the hallway left and right; however, failing entirely to look directly in front of her. Korra and Asami exchanged looks with one another, nearly bursting out with laughter at the sight.

"Good morning Ziara," Asami said, more loudly than necessary.

Ziara yelped at the sudden greeting, reacting as if the two of them had just materialized in front of her. "A-Asami...and Korra. Hi. Good...morning. Good morning!" Her tone and volume wavered wildly. She stepped out and slid the door back slightly. "Umm-what are you doing here?" she asked, grasping at what to say.

"Oh you know, just walking down the hall on the way to get some breakfast is all," answered Korra. The two of them continued staring, fully intending to extract all the humor out of the situation. Ziara's eyes darted over the two of them and quickly realized that she was in quite a disheveled state. She brushed back her untamed hair and brushed her air acolyte robes unnecessarily.

"Oh-yeah, of course…." She paused searching her brain for something more. "You guys look-really nice this morning," Ziara blurted out.

"Thanks. You too," answered Korra, nearly laughing at the absurd response. "Hey why don't you come with us for a bite?"

"Oh, no," Ziara waved her hands politely rejecting the offer. "I, uh, wouldn't want to intrude, and, all…."

Asami, deciding to let the poor girl off the hook, spoke up. "Avan is more than welcome too of course."

Ziara froze as she felt some of the blood drain from her face. Finally, she exhaled and looked at the ground. "Was it that obvious?"

"Well, no. Not until you opened the door anyway," answered Asami. Korra couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing at Asami's serious comment. This simply infected Asami and they both had to take some time to gather themselves as Ziara stood there with an exasperated look on her face. As they calmed down, she slid the door back and there stood Avan, dressed in the same, relatively clean, green earth-bending outfit he had on the night before.

"Um-good morning, Korra, Asami," he uttered with guilty smile.

Asami wrapped an arm around Ziara. "It's always handy to keep a couple changes of clothes at each other's place in the future." Ziara turned beet red at the comment. "Good for you guys though."

"We...but...I didn't," Ziara began blabbering. "We didn't do anything!" she finally yelled.

Avan palmed his forehead as Asami and Korra broke out in hysterical laughter. "Well, if anyone didn't know I stayed over, they probably do now," Avan declared quietly.

"You guys are adorable. C'mon, let's get a bite," urged Asami as her stomach grumbled a bit. Ziara was tense at first, but slowly relaxed as the warm sun hit her cheeks outside. She and Asami slowed, allowing Korra and Avan to move ahead of them. "I'm happy for you guys," Asami started, "there's no reason to feel embarrassed. Heck, Kai has stayed over with Jinora several times and her dad is head of the island!"

Ziara chuckled just a bit at the comment. "I know, I guess, I don't know."

Asami stopped walking and Ziara turned back to her. She glanced up just slightly, looking past Ziara to their partners moving on ahead. Her face looked so soft, like in a daze. She spoke very plainly. "Do you love him?"

She was a bit taken aback by the unexpected question. "What?"

Asami turned her attention back to the other fire nation native and repeated. "Do you love him?"

"I-I…." She could feel a hot tension building up in her chest at the question. "Why is this so hard for me?" she wondered to herself. "I-I think I do."

Asami continued to stare at her for a few moments longer before relaxing her gaze. "I was an idiot with Korra."

"Huh?!" Ziara wasn't quite sure where the conversation was going.

"In my heart, I knew I loved her. I was afraid of how things would go. Would I lose the friendship that we had built if things didn't work out? I'm the head of a huge corporation; have to keep up certain appearances there. Responsibilities, we can't just follow our hearts, right? I convinced myself that I should wait, things would work out how they were supposed to in the end."

"You guys are so perfect though. You look so happy together!"

Asami smiled at the assessment. "There are hard parts too, which people don't see. There are so many demands, expectations on both of us. I-we both wasted so much time though. Years that we could have spent close to one another if I had just spoke my mind more, been more confident in my own feelings." She pointed to her head. "This analytical, engineering brain of mine often gets in the way. She directed her sight to Ziara. "Anyway, Korra and I, we both see something between you. The world can be harsh, and unfortunately, if you are going to be sticking around ol' Team Avatar, things can turn dangerous as well. Never hurts to have something extra to be attached to. Sorry, I don't mean to be in your business, but it's just how we are around here."

"Thanks Asami," Ziara said with a smile. "I know, everyone here is like a big family. I'm a little less used to it being an only child, but it has definitely grown on me. Even the nosey parts." Both women looked at one another for a moment then came together and hugged one another.

"They are a great family...they really are," spoke Asami quietly to the other's ear.

"Asami?" Ziara spoke after they had been walking again in silence for a time.

"Hmm?"

"How is Korra doing with all this?"

She smirked at the question. "Oh, she's handling it fine, I guess, like any Avatar would." A few more moments pass.

"How are you handling it?"

Asami stopped again. "I'm worried she may do something rash. How do you fight something when it's main goal is 'you'? She wants to protect everyone, but this time, it might be her turn to be protected."

xxxxxxxxxx

_About a week later in Tenzin's study..._

Lin was walking toward the closed doors, but could hear raised voices from a distance.

"You know we don't have any other choice," argued Korra. "How long can we keep letting innocent people get taken by this, this thing!"

"Korra, you need to keep calm about this. We still barely have any idea what or who we are dealing with. The only thing we do know, that _you_ know," Tenzin emphasized, "is that the Avatar, Raava, _you_ are its true goal. You can't just go rushing into the spirit world ready to blast away at whatever you find." He calmed his own tone and took a deep breath. "Korra, if it truly wants you and is as intelligent as it seems to be, you have to know that all of this is just a setup to lure you there and set off whatever trap it has been scheming. We need more information."

"Tenzin?" There was a light knock at the door before it slid open. Lin traded looks with the two of them before entering.

"Lin." Tenzin sighed. "The look on your face tells me you don't have any good news."

She shook her head slowly. "We confirmed four more cases yesterday that match the profile; _six_ more that we also suspect. It's getting more and more bold and taking on higher profile victims. Still, no witnesses. The media has gotten wind of it and is churning up a frenzy. On my way here, I probably ran into half the traffic and people that I normally would see mid-day on the street. They are scared. I had forty-two officers trying to call out this morning."

"Tenzin!" yelled Korra, before calming her voice. "Don't you see, this is just going to escalate! You're right, this thing is probably goading me in, but what am I supposed to do, just sit back and let panic rule? People are dying," Korra's train of thought stuttered a bit, "well, sort of dying...losing their souls, or something. It doesn't matter; it's got to stop."

Tenzin raised his hand, silencing Korra as he exchanged looks with both women. Looking to Lin, she gave a slight nod, knowing what he was wrestling with inside. A slight grin came to his lips. It was of pride. He voice turned gentle, that of a father, no longer a mentor or instructor. "Korra, you are right." The Avatar relaxed her stance at the words. "I'm sorry, you are like a daughter to me and I want to protect you, but sometimes I have to realize that I cannot. Your path as Avatar must sometimes be the dangerous one."

"Tenzin, I-I know. I know you mean well. I don't plan to go alone. Since our talk with the wolf spirit, I have been working hard with my spirit bending as well. I have a feeling I will need it. I don't want to rush into anything, but, as the Avatar, I have to. If nothing else for the sakes of all these people that are getting swept up." She moved to hug the old air bender.

"Let's get together everything we know and who you need then," stated Tenzin, shuffling through several papers on his desk. Korra gave a confident look and started to turn to head out.

Lin caught her arm and spoke up. "Kid, you make a damn fine Avatar. If there is anything you need from me, just let me know." Korra nodded at the chief. "And listen, don't do anything stupid." If Korra didn't know better, she would swear Lin was on the verge of a tear. "If you don't come back, I'm going to come after you. I will find you and I will throttle you."

Korra swore there was almost a hint of excitement in Lin about the prospect of hunting her down. She was a bit surprised to say the least at the crack in Lin's stern exterior. She turned to square up to the chief and did something unexpected herself. She reached out and hugged Lin, resting her chin on her metallic shoulder. "Don't worry, I-we will protect these people and come out of it." The Avatar then quickly made her exit.

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. "Well, that was unexpected."

"She's really grown up. I would have never thought I would be here, hearing her talk like that when we first arrested her." Tenzin couldn't help but laugh at the comment, which soon spread to Lin herself.

"Yes, she has made herself into a wonderful example. She is still a person though, and I wish she did not have to endure so many trials."

xxxxxxxxxx

_Late in the evening, same day…._

Tenzin, Jinora, Avan, Ziara and Asami gathered outside the dining hall. Korra had asked to meet up with all of them and they were all equally curious at what seemed to be planning coming from the usually impulsive Avatar. Asami was probably the most surprised of the bunch. When they entered, Korra was sitting at the main table, sipping from a cup.

"Korra, are you feeling okay? If I didn't know better, I would think you were management, putting together a plan!" joked Asami with a tinge of annoyance. She was a bit put off herself since Korra hadn't told her anything either, so she was as clueless as the next person. Korra returned a strained smile and a forced laugh, feeling tense herself and sensing the bother in Asami's voice. She knew that Asami was right to be at least a bit upset for being left in the dark the past day or so.

The Avatar looked them over before speaking. "Thanks for coming everyone," said Korra blankly, "I'm sure you all have at least some idea why I wanted to talk to you." They all quickly calmed down. Korra took in a deep breath before starting. "The attacks have been getting worse and we are in pretty much the same state as we were almost a week ago and the prospects for change don't look great. We have just a little information from our projection into the spirit world, but other than that, pretty much nothing. As far as I can see it, the only option we have is to go into the spirit world and confront the cause of this thing directly."

Most seemed to agree with the sentiment; Jinora spoke up. "Ulal seemed to think you were high on its to-do list though Korra. It might be ready for that."

"I know. I've thought about that, but I just don't see any other option." Some silent moments passed.

"So what are we waiting for then?" questioned Jinora. This made Korra smile a little.

"The thing is...I'm the Avatar, I have to do this, but all of you don't have to be put in danger too. I just thought you should all have the chance to bow out so to speak," said Korra, sheepishly. They were all quiet as she scanned about them.

Tenzin pounded his clenched fist on the table as he stood, gathering up the eyes of everyone. "Korra...did you hit your head on the way from my study this morning?!" The stern, scolding tone took everyone by surprise.

"What?" asked Korra, dumbfounded.

"This morning, you talked about planning, training and not going it alone. Now you are telling us that you have to do this, but we can stay safe at home if we want to?" They could all see that Tenzin was actually getting a bit heated in the moment. "In what universe do you think any of the people here would not try to help you in whatever way they could, without being asked, without much thought at all to even their own safety?"

Korra was left off-balance at Tenzin's attack. "I-I, but, I just…."

Tenzin glanced about the group. Though no words were spoken, he collected nods of approval from everyone, with varying degrees of certainty, before proceeding. His voice turned much softer. "Korra, you should know that we are all in this together with you. Please don't hurt us more by telling us that we don't have help."

Korra swallowed deeply. "I'm sorry everyone, it's just, I've rarely felt so unsure about going into...well, into whatever this is going to be." A few hugs were shared among the group as they left the whole awkward meeting in the past.

Asami saddled up next to Korra and whispered in her ear with a wide smile on her lips. "Not exactly the best execution for your first time in management, but I think I can let it pass this time." She then turned her voice back up for everyone. "So Ms. Avatar, what is the plan?"

Korra regained her confidence and laid out what little she could. "I don't see any other way forward but to enter the spirit world ourselves. So we enter through the portal. I'm hoping between Jinora and Tenzin's knowledge of the spirit world, we can start to figure out what we are up against quickly. Ziara, I hope this isn't too much for you, but after seeing how you are able to feel your way through the spirit world, I feel like you will be invaluable." They all inadvertently turned their attention to the fire nation woman.

"Yes, of course, I want to help too. You guys have all become family for me too," stated Ziara. She spoke confidently, though Avan watched the way she brushed her hair back and fumbled a bit with her earring and knew she was hiding at least some doubt under her skin. He had certainly spent enough time to pick up on most of her 'tells'. She glanced over to him and quickly admitted that his understanding was correct without any of the others picking up on it.

They spoke a bit longer, but soon decided to break up for the night. It would be the start of a long day, so it was best for everyone to get as much rest as they could for the night. Tenzin and Jinora walked slowly up to the main temple buildings, leaving the four of them. Korra, Asami and Ziara made for their dormitory; Avan to his. After just a couple steps, Ziara whirled around and ran to Avan, grabbing his hand. "Where do you think you are going?" she questioned. "This way," she ordered, nodding her head in the direction of her dorm. Korra and Asami chuckled silently with one another before they all made way to their rooms for the night.

xxxxxxxxxx

As Asami slid the door closed behind them, Korra flopped down onto the bed and exhaled a long breath with her hand to her head.

"Kor. Talk to me. It's been awhile since I've seen you look this exhausted and stressed," said Asami with a gentle tone. She crept up over the Avatar and slowly lower down over her, bringing her face next to hers. "You've been acting strange again. Why didn't you talk to me about all this before. And calling a meeting like that? This isn't the normal Korra we all know and acting like this is only going to leave everyone unsettled."

Korra laid her arm back down and turned to face her lover. She could see that Asami's face held nothing but concern with her slightly up-swept eyebrows and the little crinkle on her forehead. "I know you're right. Sami, I think, no...I am scared."

Asami froze for a moment at this and then sat up next to Korra. "Kor, tell me. You aren't alone, don't try to shield me from this."

"I keep thinking about the people we have been finding. Empty husks. They are just...there, but not there. Many of them can't even find peace in death! Even those we did find, I keep thinking that their essence, it might be in the same way. What if they are also trapped on the other side, in limbo? It's, it's just cruel."

Asami could see this was part of what had been bothering her lover, but there was something still deeper she wasn't yet saying. Asami's sharp business acumen left her an uncanny ability to read people and with their relationship, Korra was all the more an open book. "That isn't the whole story though, is it? Tell me Korra."

She started to speak a few times, but faltered. Finally, words crossed her lips. "I keep thinking back to when I had to fight my uncle."

"Unalaq?" Korra nodded.

Korra stared down and clutched her hands over her heart as she spoke. "Sami, I can still remember what it felt like to have Raava ripped from me. The feeling of that connection with past Avatars suddenly silenced. It was an emptiness that I can't even begin to describe. It's something I haven't really talked with anyone about much, but this whole thing...it has dredged up those memories all over again." She moved to capture Asami's emerald eyes with her own. "Sami, I am desperately afraid to feel that again, to have my spirit ripped apart again. I'm the Avatar, I'm not supposed to be afraid like this. I'm supposed to face everything for the sake of the world. What's wrong with me? I feel like there is sometimes just so much on me that I'm about to break, over and over…. Sometimes it almost feels easier to just give in."

"Don't you ever say that!" snapped Asami. "Never say that," she repeated more softly. She quickly scooped up Korra in her arms and squeezed her tightly. The water-tribe girl tried to continue, but Asami just squeezed her harder each time. Her voice hitched until finally tears were loosed upon Asami's shirt and it wasn't long before there was nothing but trembling and sobs, muffled by Asami's form. She was at a loss for words. What could she really say to alleviate such a fear? All she could really do is hold this girl, give her whatever semblance of comfort it would afford.

It took some time, but slowly she calmed and they just held each other. "We're going to get through this Korra, just like everything else." Asami held her partner's face in front of hers. "Just remember, you are not alone in any of this." She kissed her lips softly, once, twice and again. They were soon wrapped up in each other's arms. This was really where they both wanted to be the most.

It was the middle of the night when Korra stirred. 'Nothing like a good cry with my girl to sleep like an angel,' she thought, looking over at Asami with her dark hair sprawled out over the bed next to her. 'I can keep a stalwart exterior for the world, but this woman, something about you Ms. Sato,' she continued in her head. She quietly got out of the bed and stood in front of the window. The cool air felt refreshing as the dim moonlight cast a bluish glow in the room behind her. As she stood there, her mind wandered through the many events, both good and bad, through which she had already endured.

A pair of warm hands captured her waist, eliciting a small yelp, as their bodies were pulled close to one another. "You can't sleep?"

Korra nodded. "Just thinking about, well, pretty much everything."

Asami smiled, Korra could feel her cheek stretch across her own. "Am I in there somewhere?"

"Always, Sami." She reached back to run her fingers through the silky locks as they stood. "Sami?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure you want to come to the spirit world? I don't want you to…."

Asami spun her around and put a finger to her lips. "Stop. Don't say anymore. I don't want you to get in any more trouble over this." Her eyes seemed to darken as she began to take on an almost scolding tone. "Korra, you don't need to protect me, and I am more than capable of making my own decisions." She roughly grabbed Korra's hair and kissed her firmly. "You aren't going without me."

Ziara tossed around in the bed yet again. Avan had stayed quiet for a time, hoping that, maybe, she was just having a restless sleep, but finally let out a whisper. "Are you awake?" She turned onto her back and stopped, still.

"Yes," she whispered back. "I'm sorry, I thought you would be asleep. I've been flipping around like crazy haven't I?"

Avan turned onto his side and rested a hand on Ziara's belly. He could feel her warmth through her pajama top and the slow rise and fall of her breathing. "Are you worried about going to the spirit world?" He paused a moment and she didn't really reply in anyway. "Korra and the others meant it when they said no one should feel pressured to go." He wasn't really sure where to go from there. "Ziara, I'll…."

She rotated toward him. In the dim light of the night, he could see a large smile on her face. "Avan, it's not all that. In fact, for some reason, I'm not actually scared about being a part of this group. I can't even put my finger on why to be honest. I should be scared, shouldn't I?" She moved her hand to his cheek. "The thing that is bothering me the most is that I don't want to let everyone down."

He sat up next to her hearing the concern in her voice. "You're not going to let anyone down. I'm going to sound like Tenzin, but everyone has their own part to play. From what Jinora said, you seemed to have an amazing feel for the spirit world. I'm nervous myself, I've never been there or anything."

"Yea, but we're going to battle this thing, this spirit. I'm not a bender and I'm not that good of a fighter. I just wonder when it comes down to it if I am going to be able to do much of anything. Can you even punch a spirit?"

"I've seen you training with the other acolytes. I think you've got plenty of moves."

"Hmm. Well, I'm not going to back down either way," she said firmly, before softening her look. "I think I have a right to worry though, right?"

Avan simply wrapped up the dark-haired woman in his arms and held her tight for a time. He didn't know what was going to happen either, but he too felt the need to hide his own misgivings.

The light was still dim in the early morning. Ziara feeling surprisingly rested, but still tense, woke to see Avan still fast asleep. She sat up and gently placed her hand upon his side and felt the slow rise and fall of his breathing. After a time, she got dressed and after scribbling down a small note, she quietly slid open the door and left the room. As she stepped outside, she was surprised to see someone's form near the overhang in front of the dormitory. She held back for a moment and watched the form punching, flipping and kicking the air around them. It was Asami.

Ziara moved toward the other woman. "Asami?" she offered. "It's pretty early in the morning for practice isn't it?"

Asami tensed slightly. "Ziara, I didn't notice you creeping up," she replied, with a slightly winded and surprised voice. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I figured I may as well just loosen up before we start this whole operation today. You too?" Ziara nodded. "Want some practice?" Asami asked, throwing a few punches into the air.

Ziara thought to herself. She had always held her own with the acolytes in training, though she hadn't had much experience against anyone outside her group, much less someone who had been training extensively in martial arts. She eventually shrugged. "I don't know if I can give you much of a work out though."

"Oh, I'm sure you can manage yourself quite well based on what Korra has told me." They took up positions and began to circle, feeling one another out, starting with light jabs and kicks primarily.

"Korra? What did she say about me? I didn't think she would pay all that much attention really."

Asami smiled as they continued to circle. Her movements slowly increased in speed and intensity and Ziara mostly adjusted to match. Every now and then each was pushed to throw up a block instead of simple evasion. "That's the thing about Korra. She takes everything onto her shoulders and wants to try and know everything going on around her. She can't help it, but i guess it works well for an Avatar." Asami made a quick sweep that caught Ziara slightly off guard, knocking her to the ground. Asami quickly offered a hand. "You're looking a bit stiff this morning."

"Well I did just wake up." She reached her arms up and out in an arc and then swung down easily touching her palms to the ground. She let out a gentle, "Ahhh," as she rose back up. Asami's left eyebrow pulled up just a bit, not expecting the fluid motion from her opponent.

"Again?" asked Asami. Ziara nodded and they started again. Her stance was noticeably more aggressive this time around and Asami adjusted to match. The pace soon quickened. Ziara was again knocked down, but quickly recovered, springing back up with a flourish. It wasn't long before beads of sweat began to run from their foreheads. Block. Parry. Evade. This third round continued much longer than the first two. Finally, Ziara saw a slim opening and tried to sweep Asami's feet much like her own first knockdown, but as she made contact, the other woman, though off-balance, lunged forward, leaving them both on the ground. Asami rolled to the side and after a few moments of heavy breathing, they both began to laugh, covered now in a thin layer of sweat mixed with mud.

"See, you did a great job!" exclaimed Asami.

"Yeah, but you were going easy on me," Ziara accused.

"Not as much as you may think. With some more extensive practice, maybe with some tougher opponents, you will really be a force to be reckoned with."

"Thanks Asami. Maybe I'll look into that when we get back; becoming proficient at self-defense was certainly not a goal of mine before I met all of you."

Asami chuckled a bit. "Well, admittedly, self-defense was probably not on the minds of most of us before we got involved with the Avatar business, but sometimes that's just life goes I guess." She became more somber as she continued. "I wouldn't give back any of the danger, pain, worry...heartache…. I wouldn't give it back for anything though."

"I don't know if I am cut out for all this. Honestly, I sort of pictured a normal life, going to work each day, maybe a family eventually." She turned her head to the quickly lightening sky. "What is normal anyway? Avan is so easy going, sometimes it's almost frustrating. He just adapts to the changing situation and moves forward. I am always getting stuck on the decisions, weighing options. Is this better? Is this better for me?" She huffed out a heavy breath.

"Korra and I were much the same. She was quite impetuous. Thinking back, I don't know when exactly I became so drawn to her."

"_Was_?"

Asami laughed. "Okay, _is_ and probably always will be. But, the point is I think you just end up drawn to those people who deep down inside make you a more rounded person. Strict upbringing, single parent, science and engineering; my life was similar. I felt comfortable with routine and process. I had an adventurous streak that often bubbled up, but it was Korra and all this stuff that swirls around her that really made me feel so alive. She was the one who made me feel so lucky to _be_ alive!" She grasped Ziara's hands in her own and looked her in the eye. "Don't feel like you need to make any decisions today, this week, this year even. It took me years to get it. You'll figure out what you want in time." She stood up and started walking back to the dormitory, but stopped momentarily. "And if he knows what's good for him, he'll give you all the freedom and time to figure it out too."

Ziara stayed for a few seconds then ran to catch up with Asami and simply looked to her with a smile and said, "Thanks."

xxxxxxxxxx

Korra, Asami, Avan, Ziara, Tenzin and Jinora all stood in front of the spirit portal. There was a slight tinge of nervousness surrounding all of them, but remaining unspoken. Asami grabbed Korra's hand.

"This feels really different from the first time we did this, doesn't it?" Korra nodded.

Korra looked across the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming with me, everyone."

"Korra, don't be silly, we will always be there for you," answered Jinora, accompanied by a nod from the rest.

"Well, let's do this!" exclaimed Korra as she pulled Asami into the portal with her. The rest soon followed.


	21. Into the Fog

They all flashed into the spirit world and quickly regained their bearings. As Korra, Tenzin, Jinora and Asami plotted out their next movements, Avan had slowly wandered to the side. Ziara moved up next to Avan and took his hand.

"You haven't seen the spirit world before?" she asked, knowingly. He shook his head in response. "It can be a beautiful place, much more so than anything I have ever seen in the physical world."

"Makes me wonder why anyone would be scared to come here."

"Well, it's not all flowers and rolling landscapes. As much beauty as there can be here; there are equally dangerous entities that exist here. The rules of this world are also more malleable and the more powerful spirits here have much more control over not just others, but the very world itself."

"You make them sound like gods."

She put a finger to her chin for a moment. "They almost are in this world; as I understand it anyway. A much more frightening prospect. It makes your corrupt politicians and wars seems pretty straightforward in comparison anyway."

"I guess I'll have to hold off on sightseeing until another time."

Korra had sided up to the two of them quietly. "Planning a romantic getaway you two?" she asked with an accusatory smile. They simply looked at each other then back at the Avatar with a bit of disapproval.

"Where are we headed?" asked Ziara as they all regrouped.

Tenzin spoke up. "Seems like the first, best place to start would be where this thing would likely have gotten it's start, The Valley of the Lost. I don't think the Fog of Lost Souls is what we are looking for, but I feel that if this is some form of a spirit-eater, it would make sense for it to have gained its foothold there."

"Why is that?" asked Avan, obviously more lost about this realm than the rest of the group.

Tenzin put a finger up to begin what would likely have been a lecture, but was interrupted by Asami, quite unexpectedly. "The Fog of Lost Souls is basically a prison for souls, but not in the bars and walls sense. No one is quite clear on how or why a spirit may end up there, but we know that you can be banished there at the hand of another." She turned to Tenzin, who remained silent then focused on Jinora.

The young airbender spoke up to clarify. "Unalaq trapped me there during the whole mess in the South Pole. Dad, Kya and Bumi were able to rescue me." Tenzin wrapped an arm around his daughter instinctually. "It...it isn't a place high on the list of sites to visit in the spirit world."

Asami continued, "The fog is actually a spirit that torments those trapped there with their own past memories and fears. They fall into despair and grow weaker and weaker. A person's soul, their very essence is a powerful thing, but eventually you can become lost to the point where you are no longer you. Whatever is in your spirit that defines you becomes lost. Spirit-eaters are thought to be a natural part of this cycle that reclaim these, though very little really is known about how they work and what they do. Some texts write about these beings as simply destroying the empty husks, others theorize that they in fact act as gateways back to the physical world, allowing a spirit to reconnect to the physical, a blank start so to speak. Some write about them as mindless beings that simply hunger where others say they are intelligent and work fulfilling some greater purpose. In other words, no one seems to know much of anything about them." Asami turned to Tenzin, "How was that?"

Tenzin, Jinora and Korra gawked at Asami for a few moments before Tenzin spoke. "That was an excellent summary Asami!" He glanced towards Korra, "If only all of us were as diligent in researching first to understand the adversary."

"Okay, I get the hint!" responded Korra. "Look I'm busy with Avatar stuff, when am I supposed to find time to flip through a billion dusty old books?!"

"Busy with Sami-stuff too I think," chimed Jinora with devious smile. Korra shot a look to the young one who darted behind Tenzin, sticking her tongue out at the Avatar.

"You know, I'm betting acting as CEO for a multi-billion yuan corporation takes quite a bit of free time too," commented Tenzin. Korra threw her hands up in surrender to the group.

Asami moved to Korra and wrapped her around her. "Sorry, I can't help it. I'm an engineer and researching the problem is my thing." She then left a sweet kiss on the Avatar's cheek.

"Well, let's make our way then," stated Tenzin.

After they had been walking for ten or twenty minutes, Asami dropped back, took Ziara's hand and pulled her a few steps behind the group. She pulled her backpack around to the front of her and pulled out a black and red glove, somewhat similar to her own. "Here," she stated soundly.

Ziara stopped and looked toward Asami. "Asami, but...why. A lightning glove? You didn't…."

Asami took Ziara's left hand and slipped the glove on. Ziara was surprised to find it was a perfect fit. "How in the world did she get my sizing?" she thought to herself, glancing to Avan to catch him quickly turning forward again. The idea of him sneaking behind her back brought a smile to her face. She held it out in front of her and flexed her fingers. She was amazed at the light weight of the glove and how little it seemed to impact the speed of several mock punches.

The two of them stayed toward the back for a while longer as Asami described the glove and how to use it. Ziara nodded occasionally signalling her understanding. Korra and Avan, meanwhile, had moved in step with one another and looked back occasionally at the two of them. Their faces often lit up as Asami would be describing something or other or as Ziara made some comment about something else.

"They look like they could be sisters," commented Avan.

"I've mentioned the same to Sami," said Korra. "They sure seem to get along, don't you think?" she added as they observed the two of them start a mock fight with one another. "It's different for her. Tenzin and all of us treat her like family; she knows that they would help and protect her just as their own, but I think she still feels a bit on the outside."

"The bending?" asks Avan.

Korra nods in response, "Well sure, the bending is one thing, but it's more than just the ability. Most of our days end up centered around it in one way or another whereas hers are more grounded in the world, the city, business and science. I love that about her and I think that combination is part of what helps make us work so well, but I think at times she does miss having someone with a bit more of her own background. She would never ever say any of this of course, but I know somewhere inside she thinks about it."

"I think Asami has helped make Ziara feel attached to the group. You are all a pretty intimidating bunch if you think about it, the Avatar, a CEO, a movie star, leader of the air nation, wife to the former Avatar...I guess you're also the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe…. I'm sure I could keep going if I started thinking about it more. Before either of us met your bunch, I was some street urchin and she was just working a normal day to day desk job."

Korra laughed a bit. "I guess when you put it all together like that, it does seem pretty strange." She wrapped an arm around Avan and pulled him in a bit. "Well, just take good care of that one. Asami would be unhappy if she were to take off and I don't it when people make Sami upset." Korra lightly rubbed a knuckle into Avan's head in jest.

"Okay, okay you too, break it up you two," announced Asami, closing the distance from behind. "I don't think any of us agreed to any kind of swap."

"Oh?" replied Korra. She placed a hand on Avan's cheek as her eyes grew soft. She guided herself in towards Avan, tilting her head slightly and glancing towards his lips. Avan froze and grew beet red as Korra began closing in on him, unsure what he should be doing. Suddenly, Ziara's hand chopped down between the two of them as she grabbed Avan's coat with both hands and pressed a firm kiss onto his lips, feeling him relax a bit as she did.

"Sorry Avatar, this one is taken!" she announced.

Asami put an arm around Korra who was now putting on airs with a fake pout. "Better luck next time Avatar. I guess you're stuck with little ol' me."

"Lucky me!" she said with a smile as she pinched Asami's bottom lightly, eliciting a short yelp from the fire nation woman followed by a light slap on the wrist.

"Okay you guys, let's get serious now," announced Tenzin, now a bit ahead of the rest.

"Oh, lighten up dad," Jinora said with a slight jab in the old air bender's side.

xxxxxxxxxx

Slowly, time passed as the lush colors of the plains in the spirit world began to decay into a rocky, brown landscape. After the giddiness of their first steps in the spirit world wore off, they all fell into a sort of silence, plodding on together. Sharp peaks of broken hills or mountains slowly filtered into sight off in the distance. As quickly as they noticed the change, they looked about and could find no traces of the delicate area in which they entered; they were met with harshness in all directions.

"The valley shouldn't be too much further," said Tenzin. "We should take time to rest a bit and eat."

"If we're almost there, why don't we..." Korra began to ask innocently before she was interrupted by the deep rumble of her own stomach. She clutched at her gut.

"Korra, just how long do you think we've been in here?" asked Jinora.

"Two...maybe three….," she looked at Jinora, then Ziara and Tenzin, who all gave her blank stares back. "Four?"

"And she's supposed to be the one all connected with the spirit, world" Jinora responded with a smirk towards the Avatar, still a bit lost.

"Five?"

"It's late afternoon by now Korra," Ziara answered finally. "In the physical world anyway." She looked to Tenzin and Jinora who both nodded in agreement.

"One of the first things you were taught about this place is that time does not pass in the same way here as on the other side." Tenzin turned to Ziara. "I still continue to be surprised at your quick attunement to this world, Ziara."

She blushed a bit at the complement, catching Jinora giving her own nod of approval, perhaps with a bit of pride as well. "I just wish travel were as easy when we enter physically as when we meditate. I guess I wasn't quite accounting for the fact we'd be hiking all day," she mentioned, letting out a small huff.

"I didn't realize it was so late either. Now that we stopped, I am pretty hungry myself," said Avan.

"Yeah, I remember when Korra and I were on vacation here. For the first day or so we would keep going until we were just completely spent. Finally, we learned to pace ourselves and it made it so much more enjoyable not trying to keep going while exhausted or hungry or whatever," added Asami as she was reaching into her pack for an energy bar. She looked up with the bar in her mouth to see the rest of the group staring at her, wide-eyed. With a full mouth, she got out a muffled, "What?!" After a few moments of thought, she responded to the whole group with a slight blush to her cheeks, "Really, all of you!" Korra simply smiled back to her.

This was enough to pull up the group's spirits once again as they broke for a small meal. Avan and Ziara huddled close to each other.

"So, do you feel different here? I mean, this connection you said you have in this place, what is it like?" asked Avan curiously.

"Don't you feel different here?"

Avan thought a moment. "I mean no, not really. Parts of it look kind of strange so I guess I feel a bit out of place, but I wouldn't say I feel any different about it. Maybe just a bit confused."

Ziara laughed a bit and shook her head. "Yeah, there is that." She gazed out at the landscape around them, focusing on a small flock of what appeared to be a strange type of bird in the distance. "The best way i can describe it is that I feel like everything is turned way up."

Avan gave her a puzzled look.

"I mean, _I_ still feel the same," she answered, swallowing a bite from an apple. "I'm not sure I know exactly what it is myself, it's just...I feel like I am hyper-aware of things around me here. Somehow deep inside, it just feels like I'm hyper-aware of everything whether I wanted to be or not and it seems familiar to me in some way."

"Weird, like deja vu?"

Ziara thought for a moment and nodded slowly. "Yeah, but even more than that. Even this Valley of the Lost...I know I've never been there, but I feel like I know the way." She paused, visibly a bit uncomfortable. "I also feel that it's somewhere I don't want to be." Ziara shuddered a bit and Avan reached out and grabbed her hand. "Please be careful." She reached up and caressed his cheek, and he leaned in on the warmth.

"You too."

Tenzin rose up. "Shall we continue?" At that, the group quickly gathered their belongings again and continued the journey. The transition was slow and none could tell when it happened exactly, but it was a few hours more before they could all see only darkness claiming the horizon ahead of them. The pink, blue and purples of the sky melted away into a dull brown, grayish palette. "We're getting close now," commented Tenzin.

"It's about time," answered Korra, "all this walking…. Whoa."

After so many hours of travel, it seemed like in just a few steps, the world around them rushed by and they found themselves perched at the edge of a great chasm. They all shuddered a bit to regain their bearings, not quite sure what to make of the flash of travel.

"Something wants us here," stated Jinora. She grabbed Ziara's hand and turned to her. "You feel it too?" Ziara simply nodded back in response.

She didn't know what it was, but there was this cold thread pulling at her from deep within her chest that she couldn't shake. Feelings of nausea quickly swept over her. She could feel sweat on her brow and her hands grow clammy. Moments later, despite her best efforts to hold her composure, she left her earlier lunch on the ground as her stomach continued heaving. Avan ran to her side to comfort her. She waved him off to no avail.

"I'll be okay. I just felt...something…all of a sudden. It's passing now though."

"I felt something too," added Korra. "I think Jinora is right, something wants us here; is expecting us." "Expecting me," she uttered under her voice.

"So does anyone have ideas on where we should head from here then?" asked Avan.

They all stared a moment at the murky fog that stirred below, and without any further discussion, Korra swept up Asami in her arms and used her airbending to slowly hover them down into the chasm before them, no bottom in sight. The others watched as the two disappeared into the haze. Tenzin and Jinora then followed suit, Tenzin taking Avan and Jinora taking Ziara. Avan and Ziara locked eyes with one another until they suddenly lost sight of each other as they broke through the surface of the fog.

xxxxxxxxxx

Avan awoke rubbing his temples which were lightly throbbing before a panic quickly set in. "Ziara!" he yelled out. "ZIARA!" He looked frantically about, shifting down to his empty hands and around what little of the landscape he could take in. 'They were right there, I don't understand,' he thought to himself. He wanted to search for the others, but inside the fog he could only see a few tens of meters and everything seemed the same in each direction.

"I don't know if this was such a good idea. Breathe Avan. Think," he said to himself. He could stress tightening his chest. It finally dawned on him that he could still use his bending here, and Avan struck a small groove into the ground at his feet. "Better than bread crumbs," he announced to the empty surroundings. He continued on a straight path, bending guidelines into the earth as he moved and following. After what he felt was almost an hour of nothing but barren, flat land he moved forward another segment only to find the end, or beginning, of his own trail. His heart dropped at the sight.

"How?! How did I end going in a circle?!" He yelled into the emptiness. "This place!" he exclaimed in anger. He could feel a rage building up inside. Frustration. Desperation. Pounding his fists into the ground, he looked up to see a ghostly image appearing at the edge of the fog surrounding him. It drifted slowly toward him, only vaguely humanoid in appearance with empty, black eye sockets, locked on him. It didn't visibly move to speak, but he could hear its voice, piecing his mind.

"You did this," it said in a low, unwavering tone. "You are to blame."

The recognition was instant and Avan's eyes sprang wide. "No."

"A mistake, a failure, you should have never been born," the entity continued.

Avan struggled to respond in the meekest of voices. "Father?" His mouth ran dry and he could feel a coldness spreading from his fingers up through his hands and arms. It was deeper than any chill he had experienced in even the coldest winters on the streets, like tendrils of ice sneaking their way up his veins. He found himself unable to move as the figure was now upon him, and a darkness quickly enveloped him. It was so cold.

"You owe me everything," it spoke. Now Avan could not only hear the words in his mind, but feel anger and hate that still burned at the very heart of this being. He knew he should be fighting back against these waves of emotion, trying to get away from whatever this thing was, but he felt frozen by it. He could almost feel his own mind being diluted by it as thoughts of revenge and hate slowly percolated. It was as if another consciousness was slowly and surely gnawing away at his own.

"Avan."

The voice was faint, but still clear.

"Avan."

Louder still as he felt the world suddenly warp back into sharp focus. He could now see the purplish-black mass that had stalked him from the fog was grasping at him, wrapping him in ethereal appendages that still held some substance. When? How had it come so close? He knew he didn't have time to ponder such things. Avan quickly earth-bent a column of stone from beneath the creature, flinging it into the air. It released a horrible wail at the strike, but upon landing it immediately restarted its approach, appearing to have been barely phased by the attack. Avan launched several more column and boulder attacks at it, but now, being more prepared, it simply dodged the most of them, seemingly blinking in and out nearly instantly. He could feel its grasp once again entering his body and mind.

"Avan!"

The voice was now clear and it pierced through the veil that was clouding Avan's mind.

"Ziara…," he answered weakly.

Avan felt a sudden warmth spread through his body and the next thing Avan knew, he was tumbling backward onto the ground. Looking up, he saw the dark, humanoid, form now a few meters in front of him and between them stood Ziara. She looked radiant, and it were as if there was a halo of light surrounding her that in the blink of an eye disappeared. He was utterly confused about how she got there and how he ended up on the ground and the fact neither she nor the being seemed to acknowledge him.

Avan went to reach out to her to pull her away when the dark creature suddenly lit up. He saw a bluish-white light spreading from Ziara's hand that quickly enveloped the creature. In a flash, he watched as the darkness was torn away from the entity.

"Dad?" Avan spoke weakly, staring now into what was now the face of his father.

"Son." The word floated on the air with warmth and respect. Avan was stunned by it. He could scarcely recall being acknowledged in such a way by his father at home. There was such a mixture of pain and anger as time itself seemed to grind to a halt.

"There are no words I can give as penance, and I make no excuses for the poor choices that drove us to our bitter end, but you have become a wonderful young man." Avan simply stared blankly, still unsure if any of this was real. "I wander here paying for decisions in my own past. Release yourself of any guilt that you feel and embrace the life you have. Do not let the weight of you past bear down on the happiness you have in front of you any longer."

"I am sorry." He wasn't even sure why those words came to him as tears began to stream from his eyes. He put his hands to his face as if to block the flow to no avail. He thought now on those moments when he was much much younger, a few glimpses into happy moments that had long been overshadowed by the wickedness that dominated his adolescence.

The figure of Avan's father almost appeared to exhale. He glanced to Avan then to Ziara for just a moment before he began to step back toward the wall of fog behind them. "My eternal thanks to you" were the last words they heard. As he stepped closer to the fog, Avan could see his form become more ethereal with each step. Less than a meter away, he could scarcely make out little more than his father's silhouette.

"I love you dad," he spoke, "still." He strained to push the air from his lungs to form the words, seemingly barely audible. Avan dropped to his knees on the ground and Ziara ran to him, swaddling him into a warm embrace. They held each other there for what felt like all time before ever so slowly separating from one another, instantly missing the closeness. Avan sniffled a bit as Ziara moved to wipe his tear-stained cheeks with her sleeve.

"Are you okay?" asked Ziara.

With red, puffy eyes, Avan looked up to Ziara. "Yeah, I think I will be." He smiled to her and she was struck by it for a moment. In all the time they had spent together she had felt that Avan always had a guard up. More with others, but even herself when they were alone. In these past few moments, something had changed. She felt as if for the first time she was seeing a true smile on his face and it only made her feel more in love.

Avan stood up. "I think...I think I just have a lot to process about...what just happened...about my past. I don't think I've ever really appreciated the baggage that I am carrying around with me." He took in a deep breath and was struck by how much lighter his chest felt at that moment. They stood silently for a few moment before he continued. "Was that real? Do you think that was really my father?"

Ziara stared at him for a moment, measuring his question. "Was what real Avan?"

He stared back, confused. "Him! That apparition, spirit, person thing. Whatever that was. Didn't you see him?" asked Avan, a bit frantic. He took a deep calming breath. "Didn't you see all that? He called me 'son'."

"I-Avan, I was lost, calling your name, and I heard you through the mist and followed your voice. I found you huddled up on the ground. You didn't really respond until I came over to you."

He blinked at her version of the events of the past few..._was it minutes, hours_? "I-I saw my father, I swear I did, and you freed him of some dark cloud and you were glowing or something…." he looked up at her with an almost pleading look. "Ziara, am I going crazy?" She quickly hugged him again.

"No. I don't think so. This is a strange place. Maybe you did meet your father. It might have been your mind being pulled in. I'm sorry Avan, I don't remember anything like that though." She paused a moment. "Do you feel okay now?"

"I-well, I actually feel much better now, honestly."

"You look...happier," Ziara assessed.

"I think I have to think about this, whatever it is, was. I'm not quite sure what to make of what just happened." He stood and clasped Ziara's hand and pulled her in close and leaned her back into deep kiss. Her body quickly relaxed into his and she let out a small moan in the moment. He pulled away slowly. "I want to talk more about what happened-with you, but we need to find the others. I wouldn't suppose you have any idea? I'm lost."

Ziara took a deep breath and appeared to peer into the mists around them for a few moments, concentrating hard. She closed her eyes for a moment. "I think they might be this way," she said, pointing out into the fog in an arbitrary direction as far as Avan was concerned.

"How are you sure?" he asked as they started walking.

"To be honest, I'm not. They aren't going to come to us so we have to start searching somewhere," she said glancing back to him, "but this way feels more...right than the others."

"Feels what?"

"I don't know how to explain. It just feels different."

"Well, that's more than I have to go on."

After some time running through the fog, they finally began to pick up the sounds of combat. There were what sounded like distant, low explosions and crashes of rock. As they shifted toward its source, they started to pick up voices, yelling...in desperation. The fog ahead of them became slightly brighter for a moment before suddenly flaring up. A moment later, followed by a scream of pain.

"That sounded like Asami," stated Avan, as they both quickened their pace. Ziara flexed her fingers in the lightning glove that the inventor had given her earlier.

"It doesn't sound good."

Suddenly, they crossed a virtual threshold and the landscape opened up before them as the fog just seemed to be lifted from the area. Their hearts fell taking in the scene. It was a rocky valley they had been corralled into. Shear cliffs met them on either side with the fog behind and a large entity, a dark being, crowding a majority of the way ahead, flanked by many smaller creatures. The smaller beings were similar to that which Avan and Ziara encountered earlier, black and deep purple, somewhat ethereal, with a loosely humanoid form, but certainly some type of spirit. The large entity was much more ominous, towering two or three times over above any of those gathered here, themselves or the spirits. It's shape morphed continuously with various appendages would grow and be reabsorbed into what could be called its body, but the most horrifying part were the faces, writhing visages that bubbled to the surface of the entity. They all carried tortuous expressions, pain, agony and despair.

They could see Jinora lying on the ground, motionless, Tenzin stood above her, shielding her from three of the smaller entities. It struck them as odd that they were simply probing, clawing, at the air shield, but not really attacking with much vigor. He appeared weary and they deduced that he had probably been in battle for some time. Korra and Asami were with the huge monstrosity holding the other end of the pass. Asami was being held aloft by the neck, kicking and choking. Korra wielded what appeared to a sword of flame and sliced down through the appendage, severing it and dropping Asami to the ground.

"Tenzin!" yelled Ziara as she ran forward to Jinora's side. "What happened? We were separated and came as fast as we could!" She lifted Jinora's head into her lap and put her ear to her mouth...still breathing.

"Jinora!" No response. "Jinora!"

Avan, just a few steps behind lashed out at the creatures. Pulling up large boulders from the ground, he flung them at one and another, finding purchase, they were flung to the valley walls. As he ran past Tenzin, he wound up for another volley in an attempt to finish off these things when Tenzin dropped his air shield and stayed Avan's hand. Avan looked to the air master, puzzled.

"Hold, Avan," he said with surprising calm.

"Tenzin? But?"

"I don't have time to explain it all now, but they aren't our true enemy. They are as much victims of this whole situation as anyone else." Avan gave him a still confused look, but quickly acquiesced to his guidance and relaxed his stance just slightly. Tenzin took just a moment to rest and catch his breath. Avan dropped to Jinora's side and began to check her health when Tenzin again interrupted. "We need to help Korra and Asami."

"But what about Jinora?"

"Defeating that soul eater is Jinora's only chance."

"Wait, you mean that huge thing is one of these?" Avan pointed toward the smaller entities that he had assaulted who were now slowly drifting back toward the main battle.

"Yes, but somehow it has become something more, something much more powerful that is holding sway over the others nearby. This isn't how things are supposed to be."

"Well, can't Korra go into the Avatar state and destroy this thing?" Tenzin scowled a bit.

"Perhaps, but she won't."

"Why not?" asked Ziara, chiming in from behind.

"It has consumed dozens, maybe hundreds of souls. Some of them were surely wanderers here, but we know that somehow it has also been able to break the bonds that normally hold these creatures to this valley and attack those in the physical world." Avan and Ziara both stared at the being and focus more clearly upon those under its surface. A chill ran down their spines realizing there was a whole other level of torment behind those faces.

As they moved forward to meet Asami and Korra, the creature once again lashed out; this time towards Korra, seemingly ignoring everything else. A black appendage shot out and wrapped Korra's neck with amazing speed. The Avatar and everyone else was caught off guard by what so far been a rather lethargic foe. The creature pulsed with energy as it slowly began to envelop Korra's head in its cloud.

_Images, not yet distant enough in memory, flashed into Korra's mind of being choked by Ziheer. She was lifted up and panic began to set in. As her breath was once again stifled, Korra thrashed about wildly with flame jets in an attempt to free herself. She made contact with the creature a few times but with little effect and never with the accuracy to free herself. _

The sight of her love in torment again drove Asami to action. She threw herself at the entity with gloved hands out, screaming at it near unintelligibly. "Don't touch her!" Both her hands glowed brightly with blue light as they met the creature. Its outer form writhed on contact from the electricity and an otherworldly howl escaped from it.

As Avan and Ziara were closing the distance on the entity, Ziara fell to her knees, clenching her ears at the sound and stopping Avan in his tracks.

"Ziara, what's wrong?!" he shouted to her as he changed direction to join her side.

She only shook her head, knees and elbows to the ground, eyes clinched shut until the howl finally subsided. As Avan held her hand, he could feel her entire body trembling. Slowly, Ziara began to recover and looked up to face the entity.

"We need to save them," Ziara said with a blank stare on her face. "Go!" she ordered to Avan, who stepped away tentatively, still keeping his eyes locked on hers.

While the creature had reacted violently to Asami's attack, it held Korra fast. She could see Korra's eyes desperately searching around for a way to escape. Asami could see she was growing weak, losing her breath and the battle. Without knowing, tears had already sprung to Asami's eyes seeing her in this state of fear again. Going back for another attack, the creature was not as keen this round to ignore Asami's approach and shot multiple blows toward her. She dodged back and forth with the skill of any airbender, but there simply seemed to be no end to the number of attacks it could focus on her. She took a few glancing blows, upsetting her balance, but continued her assault until finally making contact again with its body.

While the creature still reeled back, it seemed to have less of an impact. It then lashed out at Asami, encasing her body entirely within its dark, misty grasp. Avan saw Asami shudder and he summoned a thin blade of stone that shot up from the earth beneath the creature. Instantly, Asami dropped to the ground, coughing but now freed. Unfortunately, it guarded it prize quarry, pulling Korra closer to its center at the last moment and maintaining its hold on her.

Avan made his way to Asami, flinging boulders at the creature in a meager attempt to attack. The stone simply passed through the creature, slowing only slightly as they entered the near formless outline of its body. He helped Asami stand up. She was still breathing deeply, catching her own breath when they both saw a flash from the creature that grabbed everyone's attention.

"Korra…," said Asami in a desperate, broken voice.

They could all see Korra summoning the Avatar state. With a flash of white light from its center where Korra was being held, the creature expanded almost double in size. It almost seemed like it should burst open, but instead the creature's translucent form suddenly turned dark and still. It was as if the night itself had collected all its blackness together in this one spot. Neither Korra nor the other faces that had been floating within the creature were visible any longer.

Though only a few seconds passed, it felt like ages before the creature suddenly emitted what looked like a wave of purplish energy. Avan, Asami, Ziara and Tenzin could feel a static energy that seemed to permeate the air around them. They watched as many of the soul eaters that heretofore had been holding their positions started moving toward the now much larger entity. One by one, they moved to its side and slowly merged with it, silently and orderly. Avan and Asami exchanged utterly confused looks at the whole scene.

"Korra!" yelled Asami.

As the creature slowly began to move off, completely ignoring the rest of them, Asami saw Korra lying on the ground motionless. She ran to her side and saw nothing but a blank stare. "Korra!" she yelled again, eliciting no response. Asami cradled her into her lap and rocked their bodies together, holding her tightly, continuing to utter her name without response. Tears streamed down her cheeks now, dripping onto what now appeared to be a husk of Korra's self. Ziara and Avan moved to Asami's side and could see that while Korra's body drew breath, there appeared to be only emptiness behind her eyes. Avan recognized the blankness immediately from his previous encounter.

"We'll get her back," said Avan quietly. "We'll get her back somehow."

Ziara turned her focus to Tenzin, who was now carrying Jinora's limp body towards the rest of the group. He was visibly shattered holding his daughter's body in this way, but was trying his best to hold himself together.

"No...no," uttered Ziara, "not Jinora too." Ziara sprinted to Tenzin's side and laid her hand on Jinora's cheek, but was met with no reaction.

"Tenzin, what do we do?" asked Ziara. He turned his eyes to the ground. She had never seen his spirit as broken as in this moment, it was almost as if he was no longer even there with them.

"I-I don't know." Tenzin dropped to his knees, still holding Jinora in his arms. Ziara could now see that a teardrop had fallen on Jinora's cheek. "I don't know."

Asami broke the silence in what remained of their group. "We're going to get them back. We're going to get them all back." Eyes still puffy from crying, she gently laid Korra onto the ground and stood up. "I will not lose this woman again." Avan looked up to see the steel in Asami's face. There was a new fire that burned in her eyes, a drive, that he could not ever recall seeing before. It was almost scary to see.

Asami lifted her gloves one by one to her eye level and inspected each of them, adjusting something along the side and switching out the nearly spent cells for new which she pulled from a pouch at her side. She looked to Avan and then Ziara, then to the creature that was very slowly moving away from them, almost without a care. Without a word, she began to step towards it deliberately.

Tenzin laid Jinora down next to Korra and kissed her forehead and stood up himself. There was an anger, almost hate, to his expression that surprised Ziara. As she moved to follow, Tenzin turned to her with a softer face.

"My dear, please do not take offense. Please watch over the two of them. If...if anything should happen to all of us, you need to return to the physical world. You need to tell them what happened here. Find Lin, find Master Katara, find my wife…. tell them what happened…." Tenzin trailed off as he turned back to the creature.

Ziara was conflicted for a moment before settling in with Jinora and Korra. She held their hands and was relieved to find them still warm, and yet disturbed by their blank, limp bodies, alive, but without life. She watched the Tenzin, Avan and Asami move forward to meet the dark creature.

* * *

_So chapters are now coming out at a mere trickle, but I am still dedicated to concluding what I started. Thanks again to those still following!_


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